Circle of Tyrants
by IMTheresa
Summary: When John is overdue from a hunt, teenage Sam has to kick-start things when Dean seems unconcerned. The situation gets complicated, but luckily for the Winchesters, they have a lot of caring friends.
1. Chapter 1

Circle of the Tyrants

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: No offense intended to the owners of the show. We gotta do something before the premier of season five, LOL.

oooOOOooo

_Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung_

John Milton

oooOOOooo

He stood in front of the bathroom sink, first aid kit sitting open on the toilet tank. The gash on his arm needed stitches, but first he had to stop the bleeding. The whiskey wasn't helping him do that, but it was keeping the pain somewhat at bay.

Once he was cleaned up, he swallowed one of the pain pills from his stash and then stumbled out of the bathroom. He fell onto the bed and once the drugs, with the alcohol's help, had taken effect enough to let him relax, he fell asleep.

-----

Sam Winchester sat down on the steps outside the latest school he was attending and tried to be invisible. He hated being the new kid, and it hadn't taken him long to see that this one was one of the rougher schools he'd had to attend. After a month, he'd managed to avoid trouble, but it seemed like every day it was getting harder.

He watched as a group of guys walked past him, one of them going out of his way to knock into him. Sam said nothing and looked away when the boy turned toward him, laughing. The group paused when they reached the sidewalk. Sam couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew they were talking about him.

He normally didn't like to move, but this time, he couldn't wait to get out of town.

-----

John Winchester didn't know he was dreaming and reliving every moment of the beating he'd taken earlier. For him, it was all new and when his eyes opened, it took several minutes for him to figure out that he was in a motel room and not out in the woods. But even after the realization hit, he was still disoriented.

After making his way to the bathroom and having the wherewithal to swallow a dose of antibiotics, he fell back onto the bed and was quickly asleep again.

-----

Sam was alone outside the school when he saw his brother walking toward him. At 17, Dean attended the high school down the street and his day ended 20 minutes before Sam's.

"Where have you been?" Sam asked. He wasn't angry, but judging by Dean's reaction, he must have sounded that way.

"What's got your panties in a wad?" Dean's tone was defensive.

"Nothing," Sam grabbed his backpack and walked passed his brother.

"Hey!" Dean fell into step next to him. "Did something happen?"

"No," Sam sighed. "I just really hate this school."

"I know, but we probably won't be here much longer. You know Dad likes to keep you in better schools."

"Not just me," Sam said quietly.

"Yeah, whatever. You sure nothing happened?"

"I'm sure. So? Where were you?"

"I had to talk to a teacher after school."

"A teacher?" Sam didn't believe him.

"Yeah. I…" Dean hesitated. "I kind of mouthed off and had to do some damage control."

"What did you mouth off about?"

"I was in the hall after the bell and when the teacher told me to go to class, I told him to bite me."

Sam shook his head. "Dad's gonna kick your ass if you don't stay under the radar."

"You don't have to tell me that," Dean said.

"Did the damage control work?"

"I think so."

"You better be sure before Dad gets back."

"Can we go back to talking about your day?"

Sam smiled to himself.

-----

John had told his sons they'd be in Colorado for a while so he could work with some hunters in the area and do some local research. He'd found them an apartment in not too bad a neighborhood, and got them into school. He hadn't planned on going anywhere, but he had gotten word of a werewolf hunting around a town about 80 miles away. One of his first mentors told him that hunters never turned down a job and that was something John had taken to heart.

Dean unlocked the door to their third floor unit and dropped his backpack just inside. Sam walked past him and into the only bedroom in the apartment. He'd already pulled his books out and was set up at the small desk when Dean joined him a few minutes later.

"You hungry?"

"Not really."

"You're never hungry. I'm gonna order a pizza, anyway."

"What are you gonna use for money?"

"I was thinking I'd use, you know, some money."

Sam turned in his chair. "Where'd you get money?"

"Dad always leaves money. Besides, I played poker last night. You know that."

"I was asleep when you got back. How much did you win?"

"A couple hundred." Dean sat on the edge of his bed. "You have a lot of homework tonight?"

Sam turned back to the desk. "Yeah. I have a big math test tomorrow."

"You're good at math."

"I have to study, Dean."

He heard the squeak of the mattress when Dean stood up, but wasn't expecting him to say anything.

"Why do you do that?"

Sam glanced at his brother, who was now standing in the doorway. "Do what?"

"Work so hard. Even in places we won't be very long."

"Cuz I don't want to fall any further behind than I already am. It's hard enough to keep up with all the moving we do."

"Yeah," Dean agreed quietly. "You want mushrooms?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Sam heard a knock on the front door half an hour later, and knew the pizza had been delivered. He walked out to the living room and wasn't surprised to see his brother's backpack next to the couch and a book on the coffee table. Dean pretended not to care about school, but Sam knew he did better than just get by.

Dean paid for the pizza, then joined Sam on the couch. They ate quietly for a few minutes, their eyes on the television screen.

"Dean?" Sam didn't even know what program was on.

"Yeah?"

"You think we'll get into better schools when we move?"

"Dude, you gotta be honest with me. Is there something going on at that school?"

Sam dropped his slice of pizza onto a paper towel. "Not really."

"What does that mean?"

He ignored Dean's penetrating look. "It's just a rough school. My teachers aren't very good and that makes me even more mad that the principal made me stay back a year."

"Yeah, that sucks. You're smarter than most of the kids in any of the schools we've ever been to." Dean paused for a few moments. "How rough is it? You got someone messing with you?"

"It's nothing I can't handle."

"Well, I know that," Dean said, pride in his voice.

"Just forget about it," Sam said, reaching for his pizza.

"Sammy, come on. Talk to me."

Sam sighed. "I'll just be glad when it's time to move on."

"I don't think I've ever heard you say that before," Dean said with a smile.

"When was the last time Dad called?"

"Yesterday."

"And he was going after the werewolf last night?"

"Don't worry, Sammy. It's Dad. He's fine."

"I just wish he'd call."

"He will," Dean said, his voice sure.

Sam looked at him. His brother never seemed to lose faith in their father and sometimes Sam was jealous that he couldn't feel the same way.

"Come on," Dean said, encouragingly. "Eat your pizza so you can get back to the books."

-----

Sam was perfectly capable of getting to school on his own, but every morning he left when Dean did, and went to what passed for the library in his school until homeroom started. Just like every other morning, he was alone except for the staff, sitting at a table in the back of the room.

His math book was on the table in front of him, but Sam's mind wasn't on studying. He was worried because his father hadn't called the night before. Dean had tried to tell him not to worry; their dad didn't call every day, after all. But Sam had a feeling that something was wrong, and with every minute that passed, he became more confident.

Despite his fears, Sam made it through his first period math test, and he felt good about what his grade would be. The rest of the morning was more of a struggle and by the time lunch came around, he was ready to just walk out of the building and not come back.

He couldn't do that, though. He was reasonably sure that he could get away without being seen, but he owed it to his dad to stay out of trouble. There were a lot of rules in the Winchester household, and staying out of trouble at school was near the top of the list. They already had enough official eyes on them because of the traveling and spotty school records, and Sam knew their dad didn't want anyone looking too closely. He also didn't want them to know the boys were left alone so much, though now that Dean was older that concern wasn't quite as compelling.

Sam sat at a table in the cafeteria with a couple other people who, under normal circumstances, might be friends. He didn't bother getting close to people in most of the schools he went to, but being too much of a loner usually got the attention of the teachers, so he pretended.

They were talking about the math test and an upcoming history assignment, but Sam was only partially listening. His attention was on a group of boys across the room. He knew them to be the worst of the many troublemakers in the school, and he sensed they were up to something. Nodding toward them, Sam suggested to his group that they leave.

They had to walk near the other boys to get out of the cafeteria; Sam was almost through the door when he heard someone call his name. He wanted to ignore it, but found himself turning around.

"It's only a matter of time, new kid."

He made sure to turn back around before rolling his eyes. He'd heard that before, and he'd been at the school a month. How much longer did he have to wait?

-----

John gradually came out of another dream and the pounding he hadn't understood turned out to be someone knocking on the door of his motel room. He had no idea how he looked and really didn't care, but judging from the expression of the person on the other side of the door when he opened it, he looked pretty bad.

"Uh," the man hesitated. "You only paid through today and it's past check-out time."

"Charge the card for another day," John said. His throat was dry and his voice more gruff than usual.

"Yeah, sure. Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"Little under the weather."

"Uh-huh. Well, uh, can I get you anything? You need medicine or…?"

John knew he needed food, but he didn't want to get too close to this guy. It was one of the rules of hunting, but he also didn't feel good enough to even ask for anything.

He shook his head, leaning heavily against the door. "No, thanks."

The man looked unconvinced, but he nodded and said he'd charge the credit card John had given him when he checked in. He seemed about to say something else, but then turned and walked away. John closed the door, and snagged a bottle of water from the table before making his way to the bathroom.

He tried to think rationally, and remembered the motel was in a fairly remote location. It was definitely nothing fancy, but he didn't need much. It wasn't the same kind of seedy place he normally chose and he probably could have trusted the manager to help him, but it went against everything he'd ever practiced.

In the bathroom, John examined his wounds, most of which still looked pretty raw, then turned the water on in the shower. He didn't need a thermometer to know he had a fever. Shedding his clothes, he made his way to the bedside table for another dose of antibiotic and when he returned to the other room, the water was still wasn't any more than tepid.

John had to hold himself up against the wall of the shower to keep from falling, but the water felt good despite the sting on the various cuts and gashes. His muscles loosened up a little, but his strength soon waned and he was forced to sit down in the tub to finish bathing. He wasn't able to stay awake long enough to leave the bathroom and dress.

-----

Dean was headed to his locker to drop off some books when a girl he recognized fell into step next to him.

"You're Dean, right?"

He glanced at her. "Yeah."

"My name is Lindsey," she smiled. "I'm in your history class."

"Yeah, I know."

"Oh, good," she pushed some blonde hair behind her ear. "Well, some of us go to the Burger Barn down the street after school most days and I was wondering if you'd like to come along some time?"

Dean looked at her again. She was pretty; tall and blonde. Her green eyes almost sparkled and he couldn't believe it had taken her initiative for him to talk to her. "Yeah, maybe."

"How about tomorrow?"

Dean thought about it for a moment. Sam was plenty old enough to get himself home from school and to stay at the apartment alone.

He nodded. "Yeah, tomorrow would be great."

"Good. I'll meet you at your locker after school."

"Okay."

She smiled. "I'll see you in history class tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

She touched his arm briefly, then veered off to another hallway. Dean watched her walk away before he shook himself and headed for the door.

-----

"Hey, newbie!"

Sam ignored the voice behind him.

"I know you heard me."

Sam slipped a book into his backpack and closed his locker without looking behind him. He started for the front door, mindful that some of the other students were scattering. He wasn't afraid of the bullies; he had more training in hand-to-hand combat than they probably ever would and if he wanted to, he could rip them apart. But that would bring too much attention to him, so he'd have to be content with making it look like a fair fight. Of course since he'd no doubt be outnumbered, he'd have to lose to make it look fair. He really preferred to avoid the whole encounter.

Sam kept walking, but he knew he was being followed. He pushed through the door and as soon as he did, felt himself being shoved. He couldn't keep himself from going down the concrete steps, but was on his feet quickly. Three boys were on him immediately.

-----

Dean heard the commotion as he rounded the corner next to the junior high school and he didn't need three guesses to know that Sam was at the center of the noise. Dean raced forward, but before he got involved, he saw that some adults were already pulling the boys apart. He hung back a few feet away.

"I don't have to ask who started this." Dean saw who he assumed to be a coach holding one of the boys by the shoulders.

A woman in a grey suit approached the group. "Again, Donovan?"

The boy being held by the coach stared at the ground, and the woman turned her attention to Sam. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, ma'am." He wiped at his nose.

She looked at the coach. "Will you escort Donovan to my office, please?"

"Let's go," the coach said gruffly, pulling the boy along with him.

"You, too," she said to the other boys who had been fighting. A teacher accompanied each of them. "Okay, the rest of you. Time to move on."

As the students began to disperse, Dean stepped forward. "Sam?"

He saw his brother turn with a surprised look on his face.

"Who are you?" the woman asked.

"This is my brother, Dean," Sam said quickly. "Dean, this is the principal. Miss Holly."

Dean was surprised that she held out a hand like he was a parent. He shook it and put his arm around Sam's shoulders. "Can I take my brother home now?"

"The nurse is still here," she said, looking at Sam.

"I don't need the nurse. Thanks."

She looked uncertain, but nodded. "If your father wants to talk about this, just have him call the office."

Dean squeezed Sam's shoulder to keep him quiet. "Thanks."

They turned around and Dean grabbed Sam's backpack as they walked past. He was pretty sure the principal was watching them, so he waited until they were around the corner before he stopped in front of Sam and looked at him closely.

"I'm fine," Sam grumbled, pushing past him.

"You're gonna need ice on that eye," Dean called after him.

"Whatever."

Dean sighed and caught up to his brother. "Sam, --"

"I don't want to talk about it, Dean. Just let it go."

Dean did, but only until they were inside the apartment. He didn't stop Sam from going into their bedroom, but he left his brother's backpack in the living room so he couldn't immediately start on his homework. The kitchen wasn't stocked with much, but there was a bag of ice that was probably too old to use in beverages. He wrapped some up in a towel and found Sam sitting on his bed.

Dean sat down across from him and held out the makeshift icepack.

Without a response, Sam took it, gently placing it on his already swelling face.

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"They were just bullying me because I'm the new kid."

"Looked to me like you were letting them."

"I was fighting back enough not to get too hurt. Any more than that and Miss Holly would have wanted to bring Dad in. I don't see Dad here, do you?"

"He'll be here."

Sam scooted back leaned against the wall. "That isn't even what this is about. He still didn't call?"

Dean noticed the difference in Sam's tone when he asked the question. He sounded worried. Dean leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "He's on a job, Sammy. He'll call."

"You know, it's going to happen someday."

"What is?"

"He's going to get hurt or killed. He won't be able to get home."

Dean kept his anger in check. "Don't say that."

"What do we do if that happens?"

Dean looked at his brother. That was the kind of question he'd asked when he first learned the truth of what their father did. It had been a while since Dean had seen him acting so vulnerable.

"I can take care of us. And we've got Pastor Jim, Bobby, Aidan…." Dean slapped Sam's leg playfully. "Hey, you want some mac and cheese?"

Sam looked at his brother for a moment before he nodded.

-----

Dean wanted to go out for burgers, but he knew from his brother's mood that he would prefer to stay home. He'd offered the macaroni and cheese because that had always been Sam's favorite comfort food, and they generally had it on hand. Sam had tried a fancy restaurant mac and cheese entrée once, but was just as happy with the cheap box kind.

Dean put a pot of water on the stove, then pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Even on a hunt, their father kept in touch. He didn't always call every day, but he rarely let more than a day or two pass in between calls. It didn't surprise Dean when his call went to voicemail, and he left a message, trying to keep any tension from his voice.

When he was younger, the rule was if he'd not talked to his father after two days, he was to get in touch with Jim Murphy, a pastor in Blue Earth, Minnesota and one of John Winchester's first contacts. He was one of the few people the man had trusted to be near his boys, and they both trusted him implicitly.

As Dean got older, the decree to call Jim softened, but Dean was wondering if it might not be a bad idea to call him. It had been a while since they'd talked, anyway. He pushed the thought away hearing Sam coming toward the kitchen.

"You might want to take something for the headache you're gonna have."

"Already have is more like it."

Dean leaned back against the counter to look at him. "You sure you're okay?"

Sam took a can of soda from the refrigerator. "Yeah."

"Where's the ice?"

"Melting in the bathroom sink."

"Sammy…."

"Fine," the younger boy sighed and turned away. "I'll get it."

"It's for your own good!" Dean called after him.

-----

John's eyes opened. It took him a few moments, but he remembered where he was. He was cold, having fallen asleep on the bathroom floor, and his muscles protested when he stood up. He couldn't tell if he felt better or worse, but he knew that he was still sick.

Exhausted after the simple act of pulling on some clothes, John sat on the edge of the bed, and looked around the room. He saw a flier advertising pizza delivery and reached for the telephone next to it. After ordering food and soda, he slowly made his way back to the bathroom to check his wounds.

"Damn," he muttered. Back in the bedroom, he looked at the date on his cell phone and was relieved to see that not that much time had passed. He knew he should call home, but also that Dean would be able to tell something was wrong. He thought he'd feel and sound stronger once he'd eaten and would call then.

John thought he might have fallen asleep again when he heard knocking on the door; he didn't have any recollection of what he'd been doing in the 30 minutes since ordering the pizza. The few steps to the door and back tired him out, but he forced himself to eat a few bites of the pizza. It wasn't long before he was in the bathroom, throwing it up.

-----

Dean tried to hide his concern the next morning when there was still no call from their father. He knew Sam was still worried, but that he also had other things on his mind. There were a few bruises on Sam's face, but no real damage.

"I'll try to get here earlier this afternoon," Dean told him as they paused in front of the junior high.

"Thanks, but I can handle myself."

"I know you can, but I'll still try to be here earlier."

Sam nodded and took a few steps toward the school. He stopped and turned around, "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm worried about Dad."

"I know. I'll make a deal with you. If he doesn't call tonight, we'll call Jim before going to bed."

Sam nodded. "Okay."

Dean watched him until he'd disappeared behind the door, then headed off to his own school. Lindsey was waiting at his locker.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Hi. Hey, about this afternoon…."

"I heard what happened to your little brother yesterday."

Dean was immediately on alert.

"My brother goes to that school, too," she continued, seemingly oblivious to his concern. "He's a grade behind Sam, but everyone knows when there's a new kid in school. Sometimes the younger kids come to the Burger Barn, too. Why don't you pick Sam up and both of you come? It's okay if you're a little later."

Dean relaxed. "It depends on how he feels."

"Did he get hurt bad?"

"No, Sam can handle himself. He just hates having to."

"Were your parents mad?"

"Uh, it's just us and our dad. He's out of town on business."

"Oh, so….are you sure Sam is okay? I mean –"

"I'm sure," Dean interrupted her.

She glanced around, then looked back at him, seemingly embarrassed. "I've seen you with him. Walking home from school, or sometimes when you're out. You guys are really close, huh?"

Dean shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, you know, it's just us."

"Look, if you can't come this afternoon, how about you and he come to my house on Saturday? Sam and Aaron can hang out; we can get some movies and order a pizza or something. Why don't we do that even if you do come today?"

This wasn't the kind of girl Dean was used to. He had more experience with the easy girls and even at 17, he'd even been with a few women, but something about just hanging out with Lindsey at her house was surprisingly appealing.

"I'll talk to Sam about it," Dean said.

"Good," she smiled and glanced away when the bell rang. "I'll see you in class later."

"Hey, Lindsey," Dean called as she started off. She turned to look at him and he hesitated for a moment. "Uh, what do you do for lunch?"

"Meet me at my locker," she said as her smile broadened. "It's on the second floor, next to the center stairs."

Dean found himself returning her smile. "I'll see you there."

-----

Sam was wary throughout the morning, but he didn't see Donovan. Most people seemed to think he'd been suspended, but Sam didn't take the time to find out for sure. The other two boys who had been involved in the fight were at school, but didn't so much as look at Sam.

At the end of the day, Sam wasn't surprised to see Dean waiting for him on the sidewalk outside the building and was more relieved than he thought he'd be.

"Everything go okay?" Dean asked as Sam approached.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. So, uh, how would you feel about stopping at the Burger Barn on the way home?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "What's her name?"

"Come on, it's not like that."

"Yeah, right. Leave me out of your mating rituals, okay? I'll just go home."

"Oh come on, dude. You're hungry, right?"

"There's food at home."

"Not so much, really."

Sam sighed. "Fine."

"She has a brother about your age; a little younger. And she invited us to her house on Saturday."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Look, the first time I even talked to her was yesterday. She's different, Sammy. She's…sweet."

"Spare me. You hear from Dad?"

"No. I left another message."

"So, we'll eat, you'll flirt and then you'll call Pastor Jim?"

"Sammy, I –"

"Just promise you'll call Jim tonight."

"Before bed; like I promised."

-----

Dean was attracted to a lot of different kinds of girls, but he didn't bring most of them around his family. Sam could tell Dean liked Lindsey, but there was something about her that made Sam nervous. He also didn't like being expected to hang out with her brother and it was almost like Aaron was trying too hard to be his friend.

After two hours, Sam had had enough. He had an essay to work on and Aaron was starting to annoy him. He walked over to where Dean and Lindsey were sitting; Lindsey smiled at him and he almost shuddered.

"I'm going home," Sam said to his brother, trying to keep any irritation out of his voice.

"You're not having fun?" Lindsey asked.

"I have homework," he said, looking at his brother.

Sam noticed that Lindsey didn't take her hand from Dean's wrist, but was surprised by what she said. "You know, I have homework, too. Aaron and I should be getting home, anyway."

Lindsey and her brother didn't live too far from the Winchesters, but the neighborhood was completely different. There were a lot of similar houses with perfect front lawns and even a picket fence or two. Sam tried to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt; this was exactly the kind of place he wanted to live.

After watching Lindsey and Aaron walk to their front door, Sam and Dean continued to their apartment. Sam thought it looked even dingier than it had that morning. He wasn't surprised that Dean didn't bring up calling Pastor Jim. He knew his brother didn't like asking for help; their father always expected him to be able to handle anything that came up and not doing that made Dean feel weak. Sam had his own cell phone, but there were very clear lines of authority within the family. When their father wasn't home, Dean was in charge and Sam was supposed to follow his orders. Not that Dean ever gave him any; their relationship wasn't like that.

Sitting at the desk in the bedroom, Sam pulled his phone out of his back pack. It was always with him, but he almost never used it. Most kids didn't have one, and he didn't want to bring any more attention to himself than necessary. He set it next to his notebook and went back to his essay. When he heard Dean's phone ring later, he ran to the living room only to be disappointed. Dean waved him off; Sam knew the caller was Lindsey, so he went back to the bedroom.

He was involved in his homework when Dean came into the bedroom almost half an hour later. "How's your girlfriend?" Sam asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"She's not my girlfriend. But, uh, she asked if I wanted to meet her for a cup of coffee."

"You said you'd call Pastor Jim."

"I said I'd call before bed."

Sam looked at him, but said nothing.

"I won't be gone long," Dean said as he pulled a clean t-shirt from the dresser.

"Whatever," Sam sighed.

"Keep the door locked," Dean said, clearly not hearing Sam's irritation.

After hearing the front door close, Sam picked up his phone, but put it back down. Going over Dean's head could cause problems and he didn't want to do that. He tapped the phone thoughtfully, then grabbed it and scrolled through the contacts until he found the name he wanted.

"_Hey, little dude."_

"Hi, Aidan."

Aidan Prichard came into the Winchesters' lives when he was about 12-years old. He'd watched his parents die at the hands of demons and was hiding in the basement of his house when John happened to find him while investigating the scene. John took him to Jim, and he lived in the children's home run by the parish until he was 18, though Jim took a special interest in him. John stayed a part of his life and even though he was seven years older than Dean, the two were particularly close.

Aidan must have recognized the uneasiness in Sam's voice. _"What's wrong?"_

"Dad's off on a job and hasn't called since Monday."

"_You with Dean?"_

"Yeah; well, he's not home right now, but….He doesn't seem real worried, but I…I think something's wrong."

"_You're both all right?"_

"Yeah, we're fine," Sam tried not to sound impatient.

"_Why didn't you call Jim?"_

"Dean is supposed to call him if he gets worried and Dean isn't worried."

"_Oh, I get it. You can't call because that would be jumping rank, right?"_

"Something like that," Sam grumbled.

"_What kind of hunt did your dad go on?"_

"It was just a werewolf."

"_Where?"_

"In the Pike National Forest. He was going to some place named Green Mountain Falls."

"_Where are you?"_

"Outside Denver; we've been here about a month."

"_Really? Where have I been?"_

"Can you focus?" Sam asked, annoyed. "There are some hunters in the area that Dad said he was going to do some work with, but he went on this hunt by himself."

"_So, would it be okay if I called Jim? Does that break any of those Winchester rules?"_

"Well…."

"_Let me see what I can find out, okay? I'll call you back."_

"Thanks, Aidan."

"_It's gonna be okay, Sam."_

"Yeah." Sam dropped the phone onto the desk.

-----

Sam grabbed his phone when it rang half an hour later. He hadn't been able to concentrate on his homework since Dean left, and the time had been dragging.

"_It's me, little dude. I know a hunter who lives near Denver, so I took the chance and called him. He knows your dad and knew he was going after a werewolf, but that's all he knows. He's going to take a drive down to Green Mountain Falls. It's about an hour and a half away, but there's a ton of motels. He knows the area pretty well and has a few ideas to narrow down the possibilities."_

"Thanks, Aidan," Sam said. He'd been hoping for something more, but was grateful that there was someone nearby who was willing to help.

"_I'm headed your way."_

"Why?" Sam was suspicious. Aidan wasn't psychic, but he could sometimes sense things about people who were close to him and Sam was afraid he'd sensed something about his father.

"_Don't freak out. I haven't seen you guys in a while and if something has happened to your dad, I want to be nearby."_

"Do you know more than you're telling me?"

"_I've told you everything."_

"You promise?"

"_Yeah, man. I promise."_

"You can't tell Dean I called you."

"_Don't worry; he won't hear it from me. Is he home yet?"_

"No."

"_Look, you just hang in there. My contact is going to keep in touch with me and I'll call as soon as I know something. I'm about 12 hours from you, and you can call me any time, okay?"_

"Thanks," Sam said quietly.

"_You know how your dad is, Sam. He goes on a hunt and he gets tunnel vision. Most likely he's fine and just focused on what he's doing."_

"Yeah, I know."

"_That's what you say, but –"_

"I'm just worried, ya know?"

"_Yeah, I know. Are you safe where you are? Doors locked, everything salted?"_

"I need to check the salt."

"_Do it. Then sit on the couch and watch TV for a little while before going to bed. Don't try to concentrate on your homework, just try to relax. You want me to call Dean?"_

"What? Why would you do that?"

"_Settle down, runt. You know, just call to say hi. I do that now and then."_

Sam thought about it for a moment. "No. He's with some girl and I think he really likes her. Just let him be."

"_He likes her? Like…likes her, likes her?"_

"Yeah. She goes to his school."

"_Huh. Well, anything is possible, I guess. You sure you don't want me to call? It might prompt him to come home."_

"Don't call him," Sam said. "But thanks."

They talked for a few minutes longer, then Sam hung up and took Aidan's advice. He packed his books for the next day, then checked the salt lines in front of the windows and the front door. After settling on the couch, he channel surfed for a few minutes. There wasn't anything on that he was particularly interested in, so he picked something at random and tried to pay attention.

-----

Dean looked at his watch, shocked to see that it was almost midnight. He hadn't intended to leave Sam alone for so long, and he felt a pang of guilt. He was also a little surprised that Lindsey was out so late. He'd figured her parents to be the strict type who expected her to adhere to a curfew.

"I need to go," Dean said.

Lindsey looked at her own watch. "Oh wow. It's a lot later than I thought. My dad's gonna be mad."

"Are you going to be in trouble?"

"Nothing I can't handle," she grinned.

A few minutes later they left the all-night diner. Dean held her hand as they walked, keeping an eye out for trouble. There were a few other people out on the streets, but no one seemed to pay them much attention.

"Be careful the rest of your way home," Lindsey said from the sidewalk in front of her house. "I'd better get inside."

Dean nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She smiled. "I'll come to your locker before homeroom."

"Okay," Dean hesitated. He'd never spent so many hours with a girl just talking before and he wasn't sure what to do next.

Lindsey caressed his hand, then leaned closer. He took her lead and after the kiss, he wanted more. She continued to return his kisses, but kept his hands from roaming too far before she finally pulled away.

"My dad thinks I was with girlfriends."

Dean glanced toward the house and nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was walk home now, but he didn't really have a choice.

"Good night, Dean."

"Bye, Lindsey."

He waited until she was inside her house before continuing on. When he got home, he found Sam asleep on the couch. Dean watched him for a moment before going into the bedroom. He came back with the blanket from his bed and gently laid it over Sam before turning off the television. After another few moments, he went into the bathroom.

-----

The next time John woke up, the sun was shining brightly through the window. He expected someone to be in the room with him, although he had no idea why. Except for the boys, he generally hunted alone, but he was still surprised to find that he was the only person in the room. He remembered being sick, but felt much better.

After a shower, John gathered his things and loaded them into the Impala before going to the office to make sure his bill was settled. He saw the shocked look on the manager's face when he walked in.

"Wow! You look a million times better than when I saw you yesterday. Feeling better?"

John forced a smile. "A million times better."

"Good for you," the manager chuckled.

"I'm heading out and just wanted to make sure everything's covered."

"Oh yeah, sure. I billed another day to your credit card, so you're good to go."

"Great, thanks." John tapped the counter and then turned toward the door.

He got into the car and when he reached the highway, he paused to check for traffic. He knew the fastest way home was to the right, but he turned to the left without a second thought.

-----

Sam jerked awake and quickly realized where he was. At first he thought Dean hadn't come home, but when he saw the blanket, he realized Dean must have covered him with it. He could see the sun had come up, but wasn't sure what time it was. After stretching, he stood up and reached into his pants pocket for his cell phone. He had a message from Aidan, but it was just him saying he'd heard from his contact and there was nothing to report yet. Disappointed, he made his way down the hall and looked into the bedroom. Dean was sprawled out on his bed, snoring quietly. He left him that way, knowing the alarm would go off soon.

"What time did you get home last night?" Sam asked when he walked into the kitchen after a shower. Dean was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.

"About 12:30. I'm sorry I was out so late; I just lost track of time."

"Yeah," Sam poured himself a glass of orange juice. "Did you call Jim?"

"It was late. Look, I'll call him after school today. I promise."

"You better get ready for school." He saw Dean's curious look, but he left the kitchen without another word.

-----

"How long is that kid suspended for?" Dean asked Sam as they got to Sam's school.

"I don't know. Probably at least until Monday."

"The others giving you any trouble?"

"No; yesterday was fine."

"I'll be here at the regular time to pick you up, okay?"

"Okay,"

"Are you mad at me about last night, Sammy?" Dean asked as Sam started to walk away.

Sam turned around. "I want you to call Jim after school, okay? Like you promised."

"I will."

"Promise."

"I promise, Sammy."

Sam nodded and turned back toward the school. He'd expected Dean to resist calling Jim, but the fact that he didn't seem worried at all about their father bothered him. He had been angry with Dean, but now he was just worried.

Instead of going to the library, Sam continued through the school and out the back door. He leaned against a tree and pulled out his cell phone.

"_Hey, little dude. Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"_

"I'm at school. Have you heard anything?"

"_Leon, the hunter I know, is still looking. He found the motel where your dad was staying, but the manager said he took off just after sunrise this morning."_

"What's going on, Aidan? Dad gets focused on a hunt, but –"

"_Your only job today is to pay attention in school, okay? I'll be at your place when you get there and we'll get it all figured out."_

"Aidan?"

"_What?" _his voice sounded caring.

"Dean's not acting like himself."

"_What do you mean?"_

"Well, I know he doesn't like admitting he can't handle something, but he refuses to call Pastor Jim. He tells me he will, then doesn't. I don't know; he's just…."

"_Maybe he's distracted by that girl you said he likes."_

"He gets distracted by girls all the time, Aidan, but he still does his job. I mean, I know you're handling it now, and I appreciate it, but I still want Dean to do his job, ya know?"

"_Yeah, I get it. It'll all get straightened out tonight, okay?"_

"Okay. Thanks, Aidan."

"_Nothing to thank me for yet, kid. I'll see you later."_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: See chapter 1

oooOOOooo

_The openness of these networks makes us vulnerable to attacks by a hostile agent, ... Vulnerabilities are of such a magnitude that to ignore them would be a dereliction of duty_

William Campbell

oooOOOooo

Sam practically floated through the day. He met up with the same people as usual for lunch, but didn't really participate in the conversation. Sam was glad he didn't have to deal with Donovan, and his cohorts seemed unwilling to harass Sam without his leadership. He wanted to talk to Aidan again, but knew his friend would have called if there was any more news.

After what seemed like days, the final bell rang and Sam bolted from his seat. He made a quick stop at his locker and was within a few feet of the front door when one of Donovan's cronies fell into step next to him.

"He's back on Monday, Winchester."

Sam stopped in his tracks and stared as the boy walked passed him. For some reason he didn't understand, the sound of the other boy's voice got to him. It wasn't so much what the boy had said, Sam knew he could handle Donovan, but something about the way he said it made him very nervous. After a moment, he shook himself and moved forward. He was disappointed not to see Dean standing on the sidewalk.

"Please, Dean," he said quietly. "Not today."

-----

"Oh crap," Dean said when he glanced at the clock on the wall. "I gotta go."

Lindsey looked up from her sketch pad as Dean slipped into his coat. "I didn't realize it was so late. It feels like we've been in here for just a few minutes."

"Yeah, well, Sam's last class ended five minutes ago. He's gonna be pissed." Dean grabbed his backpack, seeing that Lindsey was putting away her things leisurely.

"Give me a second and I'll come with you."

Dean considered it, but shook his head. "Look, I'll call you later, okay?"

"Sure. Don't forget about the football game."

Dean still couldn't believe he'd agreed to go to the football game with her, but he found it hard to refuse her anything. When she'd asked him to come to her art classroom after their last class so she could work on a sketch of him, he'd readily agreed only to wonder why he'd done it.

"Yeah, okay. Um, I'll just come to your house around –"

"7:30," Lindsey suggested.

"7:30," Dean agreed and walked to the classroom door. He didn't see Lindsey's smile.

As Dean got further from the high school, his head seemed to clear. He became more focused on getting to his brother and his step quickened. He was prepared for Sam's anger, but that wasn't what he found.

The school emptied out early on Fridays with no extracurricular activities scheduled and everyone anxious to start their weekends. Sam was the only person in sight when Dean got there. He was sitting on a bench near the sidewalk, his backpack on his lap. When Dean got closer, it almost seemed like he was clinging to it.

"Sammy? You okay?"

Sam turned toward him, his eyes wide. Dean was immediately on alert.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

At first he didn't respond, but then Sam shook his head slowly.

Dean glanced around, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Come on, it's cold out here. Let's get home."

Sam didn't move and after a moment of hesitation, Dean sat down next to him. "What's wrong, Sammy?"

"I…I don't know.'

"Did something happen today?"

"No."

"That kid back in school yet?"

"Donovan? No. He's back on Monday, like I thought."

"What about his friends? Did they bother you today?"

"No. It's just…."

"Just what?"

"It's stupid. One of his jerks told me he'd be back on Monday and I just…freaked." He looked at Dean, seeming a little more like himself. "This is stupid, man. I'm not afraid of those guys."

Dean looked around again. Something didn't feel right. He stood up and took Sam by the arm. "Come on, let's go home."

They walked in silence, but as they got closer to home, Dean felt more like himself, and Sam seemed to have relaxed. Dean stopped walking just before reaching the apartment building and nodded toward a car parked on the side of the road. "That looks like Aidan's car."

Sam didn't say anything, and they were inside and upstairs a few minutes later. Dean unlocked the door, and called out for his friend. Aidan came from the kitchen with a can of soda.

"I let myself in," he said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind."

Aidan was a stereotypical Irish man with red hair and pale skin. He'd been born in Ireland to Irish parents, and spent the first few years of his life there.

"What are you doing here, man?" Dean asked happily, pulling him into a bear hug.

"It's been a while since I saw you," he glanced at Sam.

"So, you just decided to visit? Something wrong with your phone?" Dean joked.

"What can I say? I wanted to see your pretty face."

"How long can you stay?" Dean didn't notice the look that passed between his friend and brother.

"I'm not on a schedule," Aidan said. He looked at the younger Winchester. "Hey, Sam,"

"Hey, man. It's good to see you."

"I might have to stop calling you _little dude _if you keep growing like this."

Sam nodded. "You should probably stop calling me that anyway."

"Noted," Aidan said with a smile as he headed for the couch. "So, what's going on around here?"

"Same old, same old," Dean said.

"Dean…." Sam began.

Dean glanced at him. "Dad's on a hunt."

"Yeah, about that," Aidan took a sip of soda. "A friend of mine lives near here and I've been in touch with him. He hasn't heard from your dad in a few days and expected him home before now."

Dean glanced at Sam again, then sighed and sat on the couch. "Sam's been wanting me to call Pastor Jim. We haven't heard from Dad since Monday. So, is that why you're really here? You knew Dad hadn't checked in for a while?"

Aidan shrugged. "Maybe."

Dean looked at his brother. "Hey, uh, can –"

"Don't even bother trying to think of something to get me out of the room. I'll go voluntarily."

Once Sam was gone, Aidan looked at Dean. "What's wrong?"

Dean sat down on the couch,, suddenly feeling the need to talk about everything that had happened during the week. "I don't know. I mean…I don't think anything is, but sometimes…."

"Don't worry about how it might sound; just talk."

"Sometimes it's like I wake up from being in a fog or something. I'm thinking something and a second later, I have no idea what it was. Or, I know I should be doing something for Sam and yet, I don't do it. He's been trying to get me to call Jim all week and I kept finding some reason to blow him off. But it seemed okay to do it, ya know?"

Aidan looked thoughtful. "That sort of sounds like normal teenage stuff."

"I don't get to _have_ normal teenage stuff."

"You know what I mean. Okay, so what? You think it's something supernatural?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know. When I got to Sam's school today, he was sitting on a bench holding onto his backpack like it was a floatation device and he was in the middle of the ocean. When I asked him what happened, he said nothing had. He's been taking some crap from these guys, and he told me one of them _talked_ to him and he freaked. Sammy doesn't freak, Aidan. And something felt weird."

"What do you mean that something felt weird?"

"Just that. Like we were being watched or something."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Just the last few days. I think. I haven't felt anyone watching me before today though."

"Anyone new hanging around?"

"No one new, but the boys harassing Sam just started this week. He's been in that school for a month. Then there's…." He looked away.

"What, Slick?"

"A girl."

"You always have girls around you, man."

"Well, yeah," Dean grinned, then turned serious. "But we didn't start talking until like Wednesday. I've been in that school for a month and we've only just now started talking."

Aidan nodded. "Well, I think the pressing matter here is your dad. Let's not complicate things too much unless we have to."

"What if he's hurt and I screwed up?"

"Don't think like that. Let's just do this one step at a time, okay?"

Dean looked at him, needing to feel some of Aidan's strength. After a moment, he nodded.

-----

John stopped for gas sometime later, and then moved the car away from the pump to check the oil and other fluids. He didn't know where he was, but he seemed sure of where he was going. If he'd taken the time to think about things logically, he might have realized that something was wrong. He should have been headed home, yet he was going in the opposite direction.

For a brief moment, John realized he should call the boys; he even thought about calling Jim Murphy, but almost as soon as the idea had formed, it was gone. He was hungry, and had every intention of driving to the diner he could see down the street, but once he was back in the car, he didn't even pull into the lot. The closer he got to it, the less hungry he was. He drove past it without a second thought.

Back on the highway, he felt calm and at peace. Normally, he could manage calm, but it had been over a decade since he had felt peace.

-----

Aidan got off the phone with Leon, and sat back on the couch, going over the small bit of information he'd gotten. Leon had said that John seemed to be on the run. From what, was anyone's guess, but it concerned Aidan that John wasn't getting in touch with his sons. He'd left the boys to fend for themselves before, but something about this time seemed different; especially after Leon told him that the motel manager had thought John had been sick while he was there.

It hadn't been cleaned yet when Leon arrived and the manager let him look around John's room. All of John's things were gone, but Leon found an empty prescription bottle with someone else's name on it and a few bloody towels.

Still in thought, Aidan looked toward the hallway. Dean had gone to the bedroom to check on Sam just before the call had come in, and Aidan hadn't heard a word out of them since. After a few minutes longer, he dialed Jim's number.

-----

Dean sat on the edge of his bed, hands between his knees. Sam was sitting at his desk and hadn't said much since Dean joined him. He seemed to be reading, but Dean hadn't seen him turn a page.

Dean looked around the room. He seemed more _awake_ than he had in a few days, and he was more than a little angry with himself for having let things slide. It wasn't like him to blow off Sam's concerns, nor was it like him to let a few days of silence from their father go.

He sighed to himself and rubbed his hands nervously. "Sammy, I'm sorry."

"What for?" Sam asked without turning around.

"I should have been paying more attention."

He saw Sam shrug.

"You called Aidan, didn't you?"

After a moment Sam turned around to face his brother, his expression defiant, but tinged with anxiety.

"It's okay, Sam. Really."

"I was just scared about Dad and you weren't acting like yourself."

"I know. I'm sorry.'

"It's okay." Sam's expression turned sad. "He's okay, right?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's Dad, right? He's always okay." Sam looked unconvinced. "Hey, Sam, can I ask you about this afternoon?"

"What about it?" Sam shifted nervously.

"When I got to your school –"

Sam seemed to know exactly what was on Dean's mind. "That was weird, Dean. I just….I don't know. That dumbass told me Donovan was back on Monday and I just kind of felt sick. It's stupid, right? I can take him."

"Yeah, you can."

Sam looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you feel different now?"

Dean knew what he was asking, but wasn't sure he wanted to answer. He hesitated only to realize that Sam would be able to see right through him. "I can't explain it, but I feel different."

"Like you just woke up?"

Dean nodded. "You, too?"

"What's going on, Dean?"

Before Dean could answer, Aidan walked into the room.

"What?" Sam asked, sounding afraid. "What did you find out?"

"Not much more than we already knew. I called Jim and he's gonna make some phone calls to see if he can get some more help out here."

"To help?" Dean glanced at Sam. "To help find Dad?"

Aidan nodded. "Yeah. And For the time being, I think I should stick around here."

Dean started to protest. "But you said –"

"I know what I said and I still don't think there's any reason to believe anything supernatural is going on. Just in case, though…."

"I gotta call Lindsey. We were going to go…" he glanced at Sam, not wanting to mention the football game. "Out. I'm gonna cancel."

"You sure, Dean?" Aidan asked.

"I think it's for the best."

"Is there a decent steakhouse in town? I'll take us to dinner, then."

"Yeah, there are some places." Dean stood up, touching his jacket pocket to make sure his phone was there. He looked at Sam and tried to appear confident before leaving the room.

-----

Dean went outside to make his call, and paced on the sidewalk, waiting for Lindsey to answer.

"_Hello?" _

Dean hesitated as he felt his resolve weaken. "It's Dean."

"_Oh, hi," she said brightly. "I was just about to call you."_

"Why?"

"_Jody got her mom's car for tonight. We can pick you up."_

Dean had no idea who Jody was, but figured it was one of Lindsey's friends. "Yeah, about the game. I need to cancel."

There was momentary silence from the other end of the phone, but when Lindsey spoke, she sounded more concerned than angry. _"Is your brother all right?"_

Dean thought it was strange she'd jump to the conclusion that something was wrong with Sam. "He's fine. We got home and found a friend here. We didn't know he was coming and he can't stay long. I –"

"_Of course you want to spend time with your friend," Lindsey said. "I understand. What about coming over tomorrow?"_

"Um…."

_She giggled. "It's okay, Dean. Really. Call me later in the weekend if you have time, otherwise I'll just see you on Monday."_

"Yeah, okay. I'm sorry to cancel at the last minute, but –"

"_I understand. Have fun."_

"Yeah, you, too."

Dean ended the call and slipped the phone back into his coat pocket. It was cold outside, but he barely noticed because he was lost in thought. He didn't have a lot of experience with girlfriends, if that was even what Lindsey was, but from what he knew, most girls didn't take well to dates being canceled suddenly. He didn't think it made sense that she'd be so understanding and he was starting to wonder if she was somehow involved in what had been going on recently.

-----

Aidan turned his car keys over to Dean and the teenager drove the three of them to a steakhouse across town. The mood was somber, and no one spoke during the ride. Aidan was worried about the whole situation, and even though the brothers had seen more than most people ever would and could take care of themselves, Aidan felt the need to protect them.

He'd always walked the line between peer and adult with the boys and he thought that his role should be adult for the time being. Dean would never admit it, but he needed someone to turn to now and then. Dean never questioned his position as Sam's protector, but Aidan knew that didn't mean it sometimes didn't overwhelm him.

"I sold some drawings last week," Aidan said during the meal, hoping to give the boys a few moments of normal; normal for them at any rate. At Jim's insistence and with his help, Aidan had attended an art school and now was able to earn a living doing freelance work. He seemed to get a lot of jobs illustrating children's books and that never ceased to amuse Dean.

"That's great," Sam said. "Who bought them? Some rich woman who thinks you're cute?"

Aidan glared at him. "That only happened once."

Sam grinned.

"You think you're funny, don't ya, little dude?"

"Don't call me that," Sam said, his light tone not matching his annoyed expression. Aidan said nothing and stuffed the last bite of steak into his mouth.

Once they'd finished their food, Sam excused himself from the table. Aidan suspected it was as much to give him a few minutes alone with Dean as it was the three sodas he'd had with his meal.

"You've been quiet."

Dean pushed away his almost empty plate. "I guess I don't have much to say."

"You want to be out there looking for your dad, don't you?"

Dean glanced at him and shrugged.

"There are people out there looking," Aidan assured him.

"_No one_ should be looking for my dad. He should have come home after getting rid of that werewolf. My dad has stood up to worse things than that and come back okay."

"And no doubt he'll come back okay this time. You know, it's possible he lost his phone."

"There are pay phones. Or the phone in the motel."

"Dean, come on. You're just going to make yourself crazy."

"Your friend….what did he find in Dad's room?" Aidan sat back, feeling uncomfortable. He'd specifically not told the boys what Leon had found. "What did he find?" Dean demanded, his voice angry, but his eyes pleading.

Aidan saw Sam heading their way and he turned to Dean. "We'll talk about this at the apartment, okay?"

He could tell that Dean was about to argue with him until he turned his head and saw Sam. Dean looked back to Aidan, his expression determined. When Sam sat down he looked from one to the other, but Aidan was relieved when he didn't say anything. They were on their way home a few minutes later.

"You never told us what your friend found in Dad's motel room," Sam said as they settled in the living room of the apartment.

Aidan looked from him to Dean and the other brother only shrugged. He sighed and leaned forward in the chair. "Leon didn't find much, but it looks like your dad might have been hurt."

The brothers exchanged panicked looks, but Aidan continued quickly. "He drove away on his own, though, so he couldn't have been hurt that badly. Leon talked to the manager. He'd been working the desk when your dad checked in and he saw him when he left. He said your dad seemed okay on his way out."

"So, where is he?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, Sam. But Leon and the others will find him. I talked to Jim and he's called in some favors. Your dad will be found. You know how he is."

"You're not worried?" Sam's voice was quiet.

Aidan thought about his answer for a moment. "I'm concerned."

"You don't really expect us to sit around here all weekend," Dean said. "Do you?"

"You're not going to look for your father."

"I'm seventeen years old, Aidan. You can't stop me."

"Come on, Slick, don't do this. I'm not the enemy here."

To Aidan's astonishment, Dean relented. "I know."

Aidan tried to think of something encouraging to say, but he was at a loss. Sam and Dean were young, but not naïve. They knew the dangers their father faced, at least abstractly. Their participation in hunts had been limited, but Aidan knew that John had taken Dean with him on a few simple hunts the previous summer while Sam stayed with Jim.

He looked at the boys. They may have thought they were prepared for the worst case scenario, but the reality was that it was nearly impossible to fully prepare to lose a loved one; especially when the ones preparing were two teenaged boys. He saw the brave front that Dean was putting on, but he suspected that if Sam wasn't in the room, Dean would crumble. Sam's façade wasn't nearly as practiced as his brother's.

Before Aidan could think of any magic words, his cell phone rang. As he listened to Leon, he tried to keep his expression blank, but as soon as the call ended, Sam's fear came to the surface.

"That was Leon, wasn't it? He had bad news."

Aidan turned to look at him, then glanced to Dean. "Not necessarily. He still hasn't found your dad, but he's on a pretty good trail."

"What does that mean?"

"He doesn't seem to be hiding. He's not answering his phone, as we all know, but he's not covering his tracks. Leon's found a gas station he stopped at in one town and a diner in another."

"How far behind Dad is he?" Sam asked.

"Three or four hours. He's poking around the town where the diner is to make sure he's not staying there. He met up with some people Jim sent to him, but they've gone on ahead so the trail doesn't get too cold"

"How far away is this diner?" Dean asked.

"Why?" Aidan knew what was coming next.

Dean shrugged. "I think we should go there, talk to the same people Leon did. Look, I know my dad better than anyone and I might be able to pick up on something."

Aidan thought about that. As much as he wanted to keep the boys out of the search, he couldn't deny that Dean had a point.

"Come on, Aidan," Sam chimed in. "You know Dean is right."

"You know I don't want to do this," Aidan said looking from one to the other.

"But you will," Dean asked, his eyes pleading. "Right?"

Aidan sat back and sighed. "We're back here no later than Sunday evening and you're going to school on Monday no matter what."

"No matter what?" Dean asked. "What if we find something out or –"

"Let me bottom line it for you, Slick. If I decide it's time to come back, we come back." The brothers looked at each other, but Aidan insisted. "That's the deal, guys. Take it or leave it."

"We'll take it," Sam said. "Right, Dean?"

"Yeah; fine."

"Okay." Aidan was already regretting his decision.

-----

Aidan convinced the boys that there was no reason to leave immediately because it would be too late to talk to anyone once they arrived. They were both up early the next morning, though, which meant that Aidan was, too. With Dean driving, they were on the road just after sun-up. Aidan waited for a more civilized hour to call Leon, and found out that there hadn't been any more developments.

Dean pulled into the diner parking lot between the breakfast and lunch rushes. Lucky for them, the waitress Leon had spoken to was on duty and after Aidan spoke to her for a few minutes, she agreed to talk to the brothers.

The foursome sat at a booth near the front of the diner, and Dean asked all the right questions, clearly having been trained in interrogation by his father. He got some small details out of the way, then skillfully zeroed in on what he wanted to know.

"Did you notice anything strange while my father was here?" Dean asked.

She cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Anything out of the ordinary. The lights flickering, strange smells, weird people in the diner…."

The woman clearly thought the question was odd, but she appeared to be thinking about it nonetheless. "Well…."

"Did you remember something?" Dean asked.

"Sort of," she said slowly. "It's weird, but for a moment, I could have sworn there was someone with him."

"You said he was here alone," Dean recalled.

"He was, but…."

Aidan saw an excitement in Dean's eyes. "But what?"

"I saw him come in and sit in my station. I was dropping off an order at another table, so I couldn't greet him immediately. I remember going over to him when I finished with those customers, but….You know, I think when I waited on him, there _was_ someone with him. I didn't remember until just now, but I'm not really sure."

"This could be important," Dean said, leaning forward slightly. Aidan caught his eye and gestured for him to be calm. "Please try to remember."

The waitress was quiet for a moment, then shook her head. "It's like a dream I can't quite….but the more I think about it, the more sure I am."

"Did the other person order anything?"

She looked thoughtful. "It seems to me they both just had coffee."

"Is there any way you can check?"

"I suppose I could go through the day's receipts, but we don't always keep track of coffee only orders."

Dean nodded. "Okay. Well…. about this other person. Male or female?"

She seemed to consider her answer, even closing her eyes, possibly to imagine the scene. After a few moments, she seemed to be ready go give up, but suddenly her eyes widened. "Female. I'm sure it was a woman!"

"Can you describe her?"

It took more thought on her part and in the end she was only able to definitively say what she'd been wearing. She couldn't remember any details of the woman's face or even body type.

"Did they leave together?"

"No. At least I don't think so," she said slowly. "No, they didn't. It seems like I passed by them and the next time I looked, she was gone and your father was alone in the booth. It was odd. I sort of remember feeling a little disoriented about then. I think I even took a break because I felt so odd."

"Did you talk to my dad after that?"

"I may have. You know, when I dropped off his bill. I just don't remember."

Aidan could tell that Dean wanted to push her and he was about to intervene when Dean nodded and thanked her.

"If you remember anything else, will you please call me?" he wrote his phone number on a napkin and handed it to her.

She looked at it for a moment, then tucked it into her apron pocket. "I will."

"Thanks."

Once they were alone in the booth, Dean looked at Aidan. "What about the disorientation? What do you think that was about?"

"You two felt weird during the week, and that waitress felt disoriented. Maybe it is something supernatural after all."

"Something like what?" Sam asked in a whisper.

"I don't know," Aidan admitted. "I'm gonna go outside and call Jim and Leon. How about you order us some food?"

-----

Once Aidan was gone, Dean moved to his vacated seat. He didn't need to see Sam to know he was worried, but the expression on his brother's face was more extreme than he'd been expecting and he couldn't help but feel guilty all over again.

"Sammy…."

"We just have to catch up to him, right? Us or Leon. That's all we have to do."

"We'll find him." Dean was getting tired of using the same empty promise.

"We have to figure out how we got under its control. Whatever _it_ is. Gotta figure that out…." Sam continued, his voice growing more quiet but also increasingly frantic.

After a few moments, Dean reached out and put a hand on his brother's wrist. "Sam."

"I should be writing this down," Sam said, ignoring him. "Can't forget anything."

Dean squeezed his wrist. "Sammy, stop."

Sam looked at him, blinking repeatedly. Dean wasn't sure if he was trying to hide tears, or if Sam was just surprised by Dean's insistence.

"We've already wasted too much time," Sam insisted.

"I know and that's my fault."

"No, it isn't. Something got to us. We're sure of that now, right? We have to figure out what and how. Maybe it was Lindsey or those bullies at my school," Sam pulled away from Dean and reached for his backpack. Before Dean could stop him, Sam had gotten a notebook and pen out of it and was scribbling furiously.

"Sammy, would you listen to me for a second?" Dean pleaded.

"We don't have any more time to waste," Sam said, almost to himself. "We have to figure this out."

Dean hesitated briefly, then moved back to the other side of the booth and put an arm around his brother's shoulders. With his free hand, Dean took the pen. Sam looked at him angrily, but Dean squeezed his shoulders and maintained eye contact. After a moment, Sam almost collapsed against him.

It had only been four years since Sam found out the truth of what their father did and what had really happened the night their mother died, but he had seen a lot in those short years. He'd also learned more about the supernatural than most people would ever know, but still he'd been protected. When their father was home, he made all the decisions. When he was gone, Dean made them. Sam never knew the worst of what they'd faced and he'd never had to deal with anything like this before.

Not that Dean had either, really, but he'd had more time to think about it. There were nights he'd lain awake going over exactly what he'd do if something happened to their father and they were left alone. He'd planned his moves if their father disappeared and they couldn't contact him. Sam hadn't had the same benefit.

"Dean…."

He could see his brother was trying to maintain his composure, but he also knew that he was losing the battle.

"Listen to me, Sammy," Dean said, leaning close to him. "We're going to find Dad and he's going to be okay. In the meantime, you and I are all right. We're together and we're with Aidan."

"I'm scared, Dean."

"I know you are. And if you want to know the truth, I am, too. But you know what Dad says, right? That being scared keeps us on our toes. It's okay to be scared in a scary situation."

Sam seemed to search Dean's eyes and he tried to look confident.

"Okay?" Dean asked after a moment.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

-----

Aidan rejoined them a few minutes later. "Leon is headed back this way. He and the others lost your dad's trail. Everyone is just going to regroup and try to figure out a next step."

"Did you talk to Jim?" Dean asked.

Aidan nodded. "Yeah, but he didn't have any ideas. He's been keeping in touch with Leon and the others. Look, why don't we find a motel and get a couple of rooms? Leon will be here in a bit and we can start fresh."

The brothers grudgingly agreed. There was only one motel in town, and when Aidan rented the rooms, he verified that no one matching John's description had checked in.

Sam paced nervously in the room for a few minutes. "I'm gonna take a walk."

"Don't go too far, Sammy," Dean warned. "You have your phone?"

"Yeah. I'll just be out in the parking lot."

"He okay?" Aidan asked once Sam had closed the door behind him.

"As okay as he can be."

"You?"

Dean looked at him. "I don't need coddling."

"Good because I don't coddle."

They sat quietly for a few minutes.

"Do you have a map of the area?" Dean asked suddenly.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"I just thought of something. It's probably nothing, though."

Aidan reached into the duffle bag he'd dropped next to his bed and pulled out a much abused map. He tossed it to Dean who spread it out on the table in front of him.

"Dad used to bring us here," he said tapping on the map. Aidan stood up to peer over Dean's shoulder and saw he was indicating an even smaller town than the one they were in. It was several miles to the north, along the same highway that they'd been traveling. "A long time ago. I….I can't remember why."

"How old were you?"

"We were young. Sam was a baby….We'd visit someone. It had to be a contact, right? I mean, Dad didn't hang out with just people. Damnit! Why can't I remember?"

"Take it easy, Dean. If Sam was a baby, you couldn't have been more than four or five."

"I know we were there more than once…." Dean stood up and paced, his brow furrowed in concentration. It wasn't long before he spoke again. "Yeah! We'd for a couple of months every year for a while. It was usually right around Sammy's birthday because that's when the weather would be better. We didn't stay in town though."

"You stayed with this person?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah. There was a cabin in some woods. I remember two bedrooms. Sammy and I shared a room with Dad. In the daytime, Dad would let me take Sammy outside to play."

Aidan pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He sat down on one of the beds and dialed Jim's number while watching Dean pace.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Jim, it's me."

"_Is there news?"_

"No, not yet. We're waiting for Leon. Hey, do you know of a contact John might have had a few years ago near Ledonville, Colorado?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Aidan thought the connection might have been lost. He was about to look at his phone's display when Jim finally spoke.

"_I never even thought of that."_

"Thought of what?"

"_Daniel Elkin."_

"I've heard the name. Who is it?"

"_Don't take the boys near him, Aidan. He and John had a horrible falling out – worse than any of the others."_

"What happened?"

"_Daniel is, was, an excellent hunter. He taught John a lot, but their fight was pretty bad and I don't know all the details. I've also heard that he might be….well, mentally ill. He's been a hunter for a long time."_

"We think John went to his place. Dean was looking at a map and remembered the cabin, but not the guy's name. Why would John go there, assuming he really did?"

"_Well… Daniel allegedly has some kind of weapon that he says can kill anything. Anything, Aidan."_

"You think John's after it?" Aidan didn't notice that Dean had sat down and was listening to his side of the conversation. "What would that have to do with the werewolf he'd been hunting?"

"_I don't know, Aidan. I don't even know if he still lives there. Let me see if I can find out where Daniel is these days. Is John's path really leading to Ledonville?"_

"Seems to be."

"_I'll call you back soon."_

Aidan dropped his phone onto the bed and looked to Dean who was leaning against the table across the room. "He's gonna call back."

"He remembers?"

Aidan nodded. "Daniel Elkin."

"That's it! Damn, we haven't seen him in a long time. Dad never even talks about him any more. We should go to his cabin!"

"Hold on," Aidan said when Dean stood up straight. "We have no idea where that cabin is. Jim is trying to find out if he still lives there. And we're not going anywhere until we know what we're getting into."

Dean looked out the window.

"Do you see Sam?"

"Yeah. There's a pick-up pulling into the parking lot. What does Leon drive?"

"That could be him," Aidan joined Dean at the window. He could feel the tension coming from the boy and wished there was something he could do.

Aidan turned his attention back to the parking lot and confirmed to Dean that the newcomer was Leon. He opened the door and watched as the 6'6 black man came toward him. The room seemed a lot smaller once he was inside.

"I've heard of Daniel Elkin," Leon said after Aidan introduced him to Dean and got him caught up. "Never met him, though. He's almost an urban legend."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

Leon shifted in the too small chair. "I know quite a few hunters and we've all heard of him, but I don't know anyone who has met him. Well, until now, anyway. I'm sure most of the stories we've heard are exaggerations."

"You don't know if he still has his cabin outside Ledonville?" Aidan asked.

"I have no idea. I knew he supposedly lived in Colorado, but that's about it. You called Jim?"

Aidan nodded.

Leon nodded toward the window. "That boy out there, he belong to you?"

"That's my brother, Sam," Dean said.

"I thought so. It's pretty cold outside."

Aidan nodded at Dean and after a brief hesitation, Dean grabbed his coat and walked outside.

"They say Daniel Elkin is crazy. He's been in the game too long," Leon said once they were alone.

"Maybe so," Aidan mused. "If John was headed to his place, though, it doesn't make sense that he wouldn't at least check in with the boys."

"I don't know John all that good, but even I know he gets kinda….focused."

Aidan smiled. "Can't argue with that. I just….I think it's more than that."

"Do you think it's a good idea to have his boys out here?"

"Without Dean, we wouldn't have found the Elkins connection."

"Possible connection," Leon corrected.

"John's route takes him right to Ledonville," Aidan glanced at his phone when it began to ring. He looked at Leon. "It's Jim."

-----

Dean brought Sam inside after giving Leon and Aidan some time to talk alone, but half an hour later he was still wearing his coat and hadn't spoken. He was sticking close to Dean and the older brother was worried about him.

The motel rooms Aidan had rented were connected, and the door between them was open. Dean could see that Leon was pacing while talking on his phone in the second room. Aidan was on the phone in their room. He glanced at Sam, who was sitting cross-legged on one of the beds, clutching the pillow. Moving in a way he hoped was nonchalant, Dean sat down next to him.

Aidan and Leon's calls ended about the same time.

"Okay," Leon said after a few minutes from the doorway. "My people verified that John's car was spotted in Ledonville, but that's as far as they've gotten. It's a very small town; just a gas station and a café. There's a bar about halfway between here and there, but it doesn't open until later.

"I was talking to Jim," Aidan said. "He said as far as he could determine, Elkin was still living in Ledonville, but he isn't confident of his source."

"My guys asked around and know where the cabin is. What say you and I meet up with them to check it out?" Leon looked at Aidan.

"That sounds like a good idea," Aidan agreed before turning his attention to the brothers. "I'll call you as soon as I can, okay?"

"We can help," Sam said, his voice small.

Aidan looked at Dean, as if asking for help.

"We need to stay here, Sammy." Dean was unhappy about it, but he knew that even if he could talk Aidan into letting them go, it would waste valuable time.

-----

Leon pulled into the café in Ledonville where he and Aidan were meeting his two friends. The group talked for a few minutes, then got back into their cars. They rode along the highway, Leon following behind, for just over ten miles. The first vehicle signaled a turn onto a road that Leon never would have seen on his own. It was paved for only a couple of miles before it transitioned to gravel and then dirt. The road climbed steeply and it wasn't long before they passed the snowline and the road was covered. It took four-wheel drive to get all the way to the cabin.

Leon parked in a clearing, behind the first vehicle. Aidan looked around, finding it hard to believe anyone lived in the small building that was overgrown with vines. When they approached the porch, Aidan could see that the porch had several holes in it and they proceeded carefully to the door. Leon's friends, Jack and Charley waited just off the steps.

Aidan knocked on the door, listening carefully for any noise inside, but he heard nothing. Leon took a few cautious steps away and peered through the dirty window. He looked toward Aidan and shook his head. "I don't see anyone, but I'd bet by the looks of it, there's more than one rat in there."

Aidan knocked on the door again and when there was still no answer, he and Leon walked off of the porch. Jack and Charley followed them to the back of the cabin, but there wasn't much to see. It was as overgrown as the front. There were no other buildings, but Aidan saw a gas-powered generator near one of the windows. He couldn't tell if it had been used recently. As Aidan peered into one of the back windows and realized he was looking into the kitchen. It didn't look like it had been used in years.

"Let's check it out," Leon said and a few minutes later he and the others were inside.

It didn't take long for them to see everything the cabin had to offer and they became convinced that Daniel Elkin had not lived there for quite a while.

"Did the people you talked to in town say Daniel still lived here?" Aidan asked Jack and Charley after they'd been through the cabin.

"There was one old man at the gas station who has lived in town for just about his whole life," Jack said. "He wasn't friends with Daniel, but hasn't seen him in a while. He couldn't pinpoint how long and figured the guy had died."

"A waitress at the café knew him," Charley took over. "Elkin was a regular, but she said he left town a couple of months ago."

"A couple months?" Leon echoed. "This place looks like it hasn't been lived in for years."

"I mentioned that," Charley nodded. "She wasn't surprised. She said it should have been condemned a long time ago.'

"Does she know where he went?"

"That would be too easy," Jack smiled. "But she said he was convinced that someone was after him."

"Winchester?" Leon wondered.

"It's possible," Jack said. "Daniel didn't say who, but it doesn't really fit the timeframe. We asked the waitress about John, but she hasn't seen any strangers that match his description. She said that most of the customers are regulars; tourists on the highway tend to stop in bigger towns."

"Gas station geezer saw the car, but didn't see who was driving it. There's a small general store that a couple own. One or the other is there most of the time, but neither one saw John. There isn't much else to the town. There used to be a factory not too far from it, and that's where most people worked. It shut down a few years ago, and the town lost a lot of population. Main Street is mostly boarded up."

Aidan looked at his watch. "I think we've seen all there is to see here. The bar should be open by the time we get there."

"Let's go."

As soon as they were back into cell phone range, Aidan dialed Dean's number and filled him in on what they'd found. He knew that Dean wasn't happy about being left behind, but was glad he didn't complain.

The bar had just opened when the four men arrived, but there were already a few customers. All were older men who had probably lived in the area for years. Same with the bartender. Most eyes followed Leon as he walked across the room.

"Hey, there," the bartender said. "What can I get ya?"

"A round of beers," Leon smiled. "Whatever's on tap. And, uh, we're trying to find someone. You wouldn't happen to know Daniel Elkin, would you? He used to live at a cabin near Ledonville."

The bartender shook his head. "Can't say that I did. Boys?"

There was more headshaking from the men sitting at the bar.

Leon described Daniel, but no one admitted to knowing him. He then asked about John, but got the same answer.

"Why don't you and your friends grab a table and I'll have your beers brought over to ya?"

Leon nodded, then followed the others to the closest table. It wasn't long before a waitress seemed to come from nowhere with the beer. She couldn't have been more than 30.

"I hear you're looking for someone," she said with a smile as she set the mugs on the table.

"Uh, yeah," Leon said. "Daniel Elkin? Older man who –"

"He used to come in here every Thursday night. He's sit at the bar, always the end stool, and he'd have two whiskeys over the course of maybe an hour. He was full of crazy stories, but he was a sweet guy."

The men exchanged glances.

"The bartender didn't know someone who was a regular?" Leon asked.

"Jasper bought the bar just a month ago."

"Do you know where Daniel is?" Aidan asked.

"He said he was leaving town. He was really agitated the last time he came in, musta been a couple months ago, and I'm pretty sure he left that next morning."

"Has there been anyone else in here asking questions about him?"

"Not that I know of, and I'm here most of the time."

"Are there any other employees?"

"Just me."

"What about customers? Any regulars who –"

"You're looking at most of the regulars. Some of the same truckers come in here, though. We aren't normally too busy, but it should pick up in a couple of hours," she laid down some napkins. "I need to get back to work. I'll check on you in a bit."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

oooOOOooo

_Never fear shadows. They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby_

Anonymous

oooOOOooo

The hunters were at a loss.

"Anyone see that waitress?" Charley asked.

The others glanced around, but only shook their heads. There were several more customers now than there had been when they first arrived, but after talking to just about everyone in the bar, they'd found nothing else helpful. They regrouped at an empty table.

"Weird," Charley commented. "I want another beer."

"May as well get another round," Leon said. When Charley walked away, he glanced around the bar again. "It is kind of strange that she hasn't been around again. Have you guys seen her at all?"

"Nope," Aidan said. "And I didn't find out anything else useful."

"Neither did I," Jack agreed.

After the round of drinks, the men decided to go back to the motel. Aidan wasn't looking forward to facing the boys empty handed; the phone call had been hard enough. He unlocked the door and pushed it open quietly, hoping to find them asleep.

"Hey, Slick," he whispered to Dean. He saw the younger brother curled up on top of the covers of the furthest bed.

Dean tossed aside the book Aidan knew he hadn't really been reading and got out of the chair. He nodded toward the door and Aidan followed him outside. "It's cold, man."

"I don't want to wake Sammy. What did you find out at the bar?"

"The waitress knew Daniel, but she agreed with the woman at the café about when he left." Aidan felt a fleeting moment of uncertainty. "The bartender wasn't helpful, and neither was anyone else in the bar."

"None of this makes sense, man."

"You're sure no one is living in that cabin?" Dean and Aidan turned to see Sam standing in the motel room doorway.

"How long have you been there?" Aidan asked.

"Long enough."

Aidan sighed. "Trust me, little dude, no one was living in that cabin. And people we talked to in town who knew Daniel say he left."

"But Jim said –"

"Jim said his information might be out of date, too," Aidan said gently. "Look, let's go inside. I'm freezing."

Dean put an arm around Sam's shoulders and they all went back into the room. The brothers sat together on one of the beds and Aidan settled across from them. "We're gonna figure this out, guys. I promise you."

"Why else would Dad head here than to see Daniel?" Sam asked, obviously not interested in platitudes.

"Maybe he's just looking for him." Dean said.

"Something's wrong and we all know it," Sam sounded angry. Aidan and Dean exchanged a look as Sam stood up and walked to the window. After a moment he turned around. "And we have to figure out what it is. There's no other reason for Dad to be here than for Daniel Elkin and Dad's trail led here. As far as we know, it ends here, too. So, where is he?"

Dean and Aidan exchanged a look. Neither had an answer.

-----

John had no trouble finding the road off the highway. If the Impala wasn't such a heavy car, he'd have had trouble traversing the snow, but he made it to the cabin without too much effort. He grabbed his duffle bag from the trunk before going into the cabin. He knew it would be empty. There was a short flight of stairs just to the right of the front door that led to a loft where there was two bedrooms. He dropped his bag onto the bed of the one on the right and then went to the kitchen.

The cooler was in a corner where he expected it to be and inside was the bottled beer he enjoyed. He snagged one of the bottles and dropped the cap onto the counter before going out the back door. He took a few sips while walking to the generator, and once he got it running, he took a quick look around before going back inside.

He started a fire in the hearth, and then settled on the couch. The cabin wasn't plush, but it was comfortable. In addition to the couch, the living room held a couple of chairs, and a large bookcase filled with all sorts of reading material.

John was on his second beer when he heard a car pull up outside. He didn't bother getting up and a few minutes later, he heard the back door opening.

"You're late," he called.

"I ran into some bad weather. I assume you made yourself at home?"

"I did. Thanks for the beer."

"Thanks for using the garbage can," she said sarcastically.

She came into the living room with a beer of her own, flopped down on the opposite end of the couch and stretched her legs out on John's lap. He didn't acknowledge the movement, but it didn't surprise him.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"I got here on time."

She grinned. "Let it go."

"So, I'm here. You want to tell me why exactly?"

"All work and no play, John," she said, rubbing her stockinged foot on his thigh. "Looks like the rumor that you got mauled is true."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, saying nothing.

"All right, fine. Be stoic. Just make sure you're taking care of yourself."

"Your concern for my health is touching, Renee," he said with an even tone.

"It's not so much concern as…." She sighed and changed position so that she was sitting next to him. "That's bullshit and we both know it. Are you all right?"

John put an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, thanks to your friends."

"I'm not sure I'd really call them friends," she said after a sip of beer. "You should let me check some of those wounds."

"Oh yeah?"

"Well, I do need you healthy for this job."

"Oh yeah, the job," John said with a grin.

She turned toward him and smiled. After a moment, she put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her.

-----

Sam couldn't fall asleep and just before dawn, he gave up and got out of bed. He knew Dean and Aidan weren't sleeping very soundly, so he moved more carefully than usual. After a pit stop in the bathroom, he pulled his shoes on and grabbed his coat from the back of the chair he'd hung it on. He made sure his phone was charged and went outside.

Aidan's car was parked in a spot close to the room and Sam leaned back against it. He looked around and pulled his coat closed against the cold air. There were already a few people leaving the motel despite the early hour, but Sam ignored them and dialed his father's cell phone number.

He knew the call would go to voicemail and was surprised when tears stung his eyes upon hearing his father's outgoing message. It vaguely occurred to him that his dad must be checking his messages since the mailbox wasn't full.

"Dad, it's Sam." He wanted to sound angry, but he was too tired and scared to manage it. "Dad, please, _please._ If you're getting these messages, call one of us back. We're all really worried. Dean and I are with Aidan, I already told you that, and we're in Ledonville. Aidan and a couple other people were at Daniel's cabin yesterday and they say you weren't there, but I know you're in town somewhere. You have to be because we haven't found any other leads; this is the end of the trail. Aidan is going to make us go back to Denver today so we can go to school tomorrow. I don't want to leave without you. Please, Dad."

Sam's voice cracked before he got to the message, but he didn't care. He'd been taught not to show weakness in any situation, but he couldn't help it. He felt weak and he just wanted his father. He wiped his eyes just before he saw Dean throw open the motel room door. His brother visibly relaxed when he saw Sam.

"What are you doing out here?" Dean asked, obviously trying not to sound too angry as he approached his brother.

"I couldn't sleep and I just wanted some air."

"You called him again, didn't you?" Now Dean's voice was gentle.

"Where is he, Dean?" Sam couldn't stop the tears and he welcomed Dean's arm around his shoulders.

There used to be a lot of physical contact between the brothers, but the older they got, the less there was. Sam didn't normally miss it, but right now he really just needed his big brother. Dean had always been able to make things okay and Sam desperately wanted him to do that now.

"Come on, Sammy," Dean said. "This isn't helping anyone. Dad is okay. He's always okay."

The harder Sam tried to get himself under control, the less he had. He was scared, he was exhausted and he burrowed into his brother's side. All he could do was whisper over and over that he was sorry.

Dean held Sam much like he had when Sam was little and Sam took comfort in it. He wasn't entirely sure Dean wasn't getting some reassurance from it as well. Only a few minutes later, though, Dean pulled away and looked his brother in the eye. "We don't have time for this, okay? We don't have the luxury of falling apart because we have work to do. Aidan said he'd take us to the cabin and that might be our last chance to find a clue to where Dad is. We can't blow it."

"I know," Sam wiped his face with the sleeve of his coat. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about being sorry, just get a hold of yourself."

Sam nodded.

"It's freezing out here," Dean said, leading Sam back inside with a hand on his shoulder.

-----

Aidan woke up on Sunday morning to the sounds of Sam and Dean whispering to each other. He wouldn't have had any trouble making out what they were saying, but he was more interested in the dream he'd just had. It had been an almost exact replay of what had happened in the bar the previous night, and it left him with an odd feeling.

He couldn't get past the feeling that he was forgetting something important, but he had no idea what that might be. He went through the conversation with the waitress, but he could think of nothing that hadn't been asked. As far as he could tell, they'd gotten all the information that had been possible to get at the bar.

The boys were still talking when a knock came on the door that separated their room from Leon's.

"Holy hell, doesn't anyone sleep around here?" Aidan grumbled as he tossed the covers aside. "Let him in; I'll be right back."

When Aidan left the bathroom, Leon was sitting at the table. Jack and Charley were also in the room. He eyed Leon's cup of coffee. "You have more of that?"

"Yeah."

Aidan glanced at Sam, who moved quickly to the door while Dean started the pot in their room.

"Aidan," Leon rubbed his chin. "Uh, about the bar last night….You have any, I don't know, weird feelings?"

"Like about the waitress?" Aidan nodded his thanks at Sam when he returned with the coffee.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"It's way too early for this." Aidan rubbed his forehead as he sat in the second chair. "Yeah, I do have sort of a weird feeling. I can't explain it."

"Disoriented?" Dean ventured. "Like the waitress at the diner?"

Aidan thought about it for a moment. "Maybe."

"Jack and Charley feel the same way," Leon said with a nod toward his friends.

"What do we do now?" Aidan asked as he looked at the people in the room.

His question was met with silence.

-----

John opened his eyes when he recognized his phone's ring tone. He could tell he was in a bed, but the room was dark and he wasn't sure where that bed was. At first he thought he was suffering a hangover, but he quickly realized he didn't have a headache, he wasn't nauseated, and he didn't remember drinking. He reached toward where it seemed the phone should be, but it stopped ringing before he found it.

After a moment, he sat up and looked around. He was a little more awake than he had been only a moment before and though he couldn't discern any real detail of the room he was in, he could see it was a mess. He was also aware of being cold. He rubbed his eyes and got off the bed, then stumbled over things he could only partially see on the floor until he got to the hallway.

There was light coming in through a big window downstairs and he saw the ruin of the house he was in. He immediately recognized it as Daniel Elkins cabin, but it looked as if it hadn't been lived in for quite a while. "What the hell?" he muttered to no one in particular.

A quick trip through the house ensured that he was alone. He'd been in some disgusting places before, but Daniel's cabin was almost beyond anything he'd ever seen. There were open holes in the wooden floor and some of the windows had no glass in them. There was what appeared to be animal feces in the wrecked living room and the odor was indescribable. The condition of the cabin seemed to deteriorate as he made his way through it.

John quickly made his way back to the bedroom and pulled the heavy curtain from the window. As sunlight streamed in, he tried not to look at where he'd slept. His duffle bag was on the floor and his phone on a small table next to the bed. He grabbed both and checked his pockets for the Impala's keys.

"Shit," he grumbled, not finding them. He didn't see them in the bedroom, nor anywhere else in the house, though his search was far from thorough. He could see the car through the broken living room window and he knew the keys had to be somewhere.

"Okay," he said, feeling like he had to get as far away from the cabin as quickly as he could. "The spare keys should be in the glove compartment and once I'm out of here, I'll figure everything else out."

Just as he made the decision, John heard the chirp of his phone alerting him to a voice mail. For no particular reason, he took the phone out of his pocket and looked at the display. Seeing that the last call had been from Sam, John felt an immediate pang of guilt and left the cabin.

John had no idea how he looked. He tried to assess his appearance in the rearview mirror as he drove down the winding mountain road, but the sun was just coming up and it was too dark in the car to really see anything. He knew there was a gas station not too far from where the one-lane road met the highway and he decided he'd stop there before going into town. Once he'd had a little while to think and some coffee, he'd call the boys.

The gas station bathrooms were in a separate building behind the store. John was glad the door to the men's room wasn't locked and when he looked in the mirror, he wasn't completely shocked by what he saw. There was several days' growth of beard, but other than that, he looked fairly normal. He splashed cold water on his face and rinsed his mouth out as best he could. He fished in the duffle bag he'd brought in with him for a clean shirt and wasn't particularly surprised to see the healing gashes and cuts on his chest when he unbuttoned the one he'd been wearing.

Once he was cleaned up as best as he could be, John left the bathroom and tossed the bag into the back seat of the car. He decided to go into the store for provisions and was glad to find his wallet in his back pocket. As soon as he went through the door and smelled the fresh breakfast sandwiches and brewing coffee, he realized he was hungry.

Trying not to look too frightening, John bought the biggest coffee he could and two egg and sausage sandwiches. He didn't linger and back in the car, he drove towards town and parked a few miles down the road. After several long swallows of the coffee and completely finishing one of the sandwiches, John looked at his phone. This time he noticed the date and had a hard time believing so many days had passed since….Since when?

Thinking back, he remembered planning to go after a werewolf and decided that's where the gashes and bites had come from. He vaguely remembered the mauling, but it was almost as if he'd seen it in a movie instead of experienced it himself. After a few more sips of coffee, John decided to listen to his messages. There were entirely too many of them to go through and after hearing the most recent one, Sam's emotional plea, John decided the others could wait. He thought about who to call and settled on Sam.

-----

"I'm gonna take a quick shower," Aidan said once he'd finished a second cup of coffee, and a next move had still not been figured out.

"I'm going outside," Sam said, sounding miserable.

Aidan looked at Dean, but the older boy only shrugged. Aidan grabbed his duffle bag with a sigh and escaped into the solace of the bathroom.

As he stood under the weak stream of water coming from the shower head, he tried to figure out what to do next. It seemed obvious now that there was some kind of mind control going on, and he thought it clear the crux of it was the waitress they'd met at the bar. She could have been the same woman who was with John in the diner. Or it could have been anyone else. It wasn't like they had a description of her, Aidan realized.

He couldn't help but wonder how much of what they'd learned was even true. It was possible that John was hundreds of miles away, and that his trail hadn't led to Ledonville at all. But the connection of Daniel Elkin was hard to deny. If they were being controlled, why put them on a path that led to one of John's former contacts? Or, at least to where he had lived until recently.

The muscles in Aidan's neck were tight, and he felt a headache coming on, but he knew he didn't have time to indulge himself. He couldn't hide in the bathroom forever, so he set about finishing the shower.

-----

Sam walked in a wide circle around the parking lot. He didn't notice the curious looks he got from people on their way out; his head was down and his hands were stuffed into his pockets. His thoughts were scattered, and though he tried to concentrate, he found it impossible. The only coherent thing going through his head was that he wanted his father back.

He glanced toward the motel building when he heard a commotion, but it was nothing more than a couple arguing on their way to their car. He saw Dean's face in the window of their room, but Sam didn't acknowledge him.

Sam was across the parking lot when he heard his cell phone. He hadn't even realized it was in the inside pocket of his coat. His hands were shaking as he reached for it, but he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the sudden awareness that the caller was his dad.

"Dad?"

"Hey, Sammy."

"Where are you? Are you all right? We've all been worried!"

"I'm okay, Sammy. Where are you?"

"A motel in Ledonville. It's called The Wagon Wheel."

"You're with Dean and Aidan?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is everyone all right?"

"We're okay, Dad. Where are you?"

"I'm on my way to you, Sammy. I know where the motel is and I'll be there in maybe twenty minutes, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, Dad," Sam said excitedly.

"I'll see you soon, Sammy."

Sam knew his father had ended the call, but he couldn't bring himself to put the phone away. After a moment, he ran across the room and burst into the motel room, calling for Dean.

"What is it, Sammy?" Dean ran from the connected room.

"Dad called!"

"What?"

"He's on his way! He said he'd be here in 20 minutes."

"Dad called?"

"_Yes!_"

"Holy shit."

-----

While Sam and Dean anxiously waited for their father in their own room, Aidan sat with the men in the other room.

"We have to be sure John is who he says he is and isn't being controlled," Aidan said. "I don't particularly want him alone with the boys until we've done that, but I don't want them to know."

"I get why you feel that way, but I'm kinda scared of that little one," Charley said.

Aidan chuckled. He couldn't disagree. Dean got angry quickly, but it generally passed just as fast. With Sam, it was a slow burn and he tended to be more unpredictable. Nonetheless, it was up to Aidan to make sure both boys were safe.

"How do we make sure John is okay?" Leon asked. Of the men in the room, he was the only one beside Aidan that knew John at all.

"We'll start with the most obvious things first and –"

"Whoa, are you talking about holy water and…." Charley looked at his companions. "You think we're dealing with a demon? I figured we were dealing with a witch or something. A demon is a whole other thing."

"I don't know what we're dealing with," Aidan said. "But we need to do everything we can."

Charley nodded. "I get it, but I don't know how we're going to make sure he's not under some mind control. We can't even be sure that _we_ aren't under some kind of mind control."

Aidan looked toward the other room when he heard Dean yell out his brother's name.

-----

John saw Sam rush out of the motel as soon as he pulled into the parking lot. He eased the car into the first empty spot, and as soon as he opened the door, Sam pounced.

"Dad! Are you all right?"

"I'm okay, Sammy." John eagerly returned the hug. "I'm okay."

"Dad?" John looked toward his older son as Dean came toward him, not quite in a run, and pulled him close as soon as he was within reach.

"Are you two okay?"

"Yeah," Dean said, and John saw the tears glistening in his eyes. "Where have you been?"

"Let's get inside; it's freezing out here."

Aidan was standing just inside the motel room door when John and his sons walked in. John detected some wariness in him, but Aidan didn't seem to hesitate when John hugged him briefly. It didn't take him long to reestablish physical contact with his sons, though.

"How ya doin, man?" Aidan asked. "You had us worried."

"Yeah," John looked at Sam. "I heard."

"Where have you been?"

John felt helpless, and was sure it showed in his expression. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I woke up in a cabin this morning and I have no idea how I got there."

"Daniel Elkin's cabin?" Dean asked.

John was surprised. "You remember Daniel?"

"Not really, but I remembered Ledonville. I remembered we used to go there every year."

John squeezed his shoulder. "Good job, Son."

Aidan held out a bottle of water to John. "Thirsty?"

John saw the distrust in his eyes and had an idea that the bottle hadn't just been opened. He had a random thought that the people in the room with him weren't really Aidan and his sons, but he pushed it away. He'd learned to trust his instincts, and despite the memory loss, he knew he could trust Aidan.

Keeping eye contact with Aidan, John took a long sip of the water. "Now what I'd really like is a shower."

-----

When John finished with the longest shower of his life he found that there was fresh coffee and both boys were waiting for him on one of the beds. Before he could do it himself, Sam jumped up and poured some of the coffee into a cup for him.

"Thanks, Sammy." John sat down on a chair next to the table and Sam sat across from him.

"John," Aidan began. "Leon and a couple of his friends are in the room next door. They've been doing the lion's share of looking for you."

"May as well get everyone together," John said, feeling weary. He drank some of the coffee as Aidan opened the connecting door. John greeted Leon with a handshake and was introduced to Jack and Charley.

"It won't take long to get you up to speed," Aidan told the other hunters. "He doesn't remember anything."

"Oh, good, it's a short story. " Leon smiled. "I was afraid I might get lost in the details."

John couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't know Leon very well, but he liked the man. "The last thing I remember clearly is going after the werewolf. Judging by some gashes and bruises, I must have found it."

"The wounds must have gotten infected," Leon said. "I talked to the manager at the motel where you were staying, and he said he'd come to your room. He told me you seemed to be pretty sick. I looked through the room, and found an empty antibiotic bottle along with some bloody towels."

John was thoughtful. "The infection must have started pretty fast and hit hard. If that's the case, a few antibiotic pills wouldn't have gotten rid of it. Do you think the memory loss is related to the infection?"

John saw the fearful expression on Sam's face. Dean's was only slightly better concealed. "Dad…."

"What is it, Dean?"

"We think there's some mind control going on. Sam and I….back in Denver…."

John felt anger rising up, but he kept his emotions in check. "What happened back in Denver?"

"I think Sam and I, well mostly me, I think I was controlled."

"More like influenced," Aidan cut in.

"Influenced to do what?" John asked, the anger turning to fear.

"More like to not do something," Dean said. "I should have called Pastor Jim when you didn't come home or get in touch. Sam kept asking me to do it, but it never seemed important. Sam called Aidan, and after he was there, it was like I woke up. I was more aware or something."

"It wasn't just Dean, Dad. It was me, too. I got afraid of some bully in school for no reason."

John looked at his sons. "But you're both all right now?"

"Yes, sir," they answered n unison.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Dean added and John's heart broke for him. He was hard on the boys, mainly on Dean, because he needed them well trained to fight whatever might come after them. He particularly needed Dean to be strong and capable. But sometimes he saw Dean's own disappointment when he thought he'd let him down, and John hated that. He especially hated it when there was nothing Dean could have done differently.

"I told him it's hard to fight mind control," Aidan said cautiously.

"Aidan's right, Dean." John saw Aidan visibly relax.

"Okay, so if John was sick," Leon said when the silence went on. "How did he get well?"

John leaned forward and rubbed his face. "And did someone bring me here, or did I come here on my own? I was in Daniel's cabin, but it was a shambles. He's never really kept the place up, but –"

"According to a couple people we talked to," Leon began. "One of whom we don't think is particularly reliable, by the way, says he left a couple of months ago."

"Who is unreliable?" John asked.

"A waitress in the bar that's not far from here. We were all there last night, and we all felt a little disoriented."

"You took my kids into a bar?" John glared at Aidan.

"No. The boys were here," he said matching the stare for a few moments. But there's a waitress at the café in Ledonville who said Elkin left."

"Tell me more about the bar," John said.

Aidan went over what had happened, and John listened thoughtfully. While he was speaking, Aidan realized he didn't have a clear memory of the waitress, nor did the other men.

"There was a waitress in a diner a few towns south," Dean began. "She saw you, but didn't remember at first that there was a woman with you. She used the word _disoriented_ – said that's how she felt after she noticed the woman had gone."

"I was with a woman," John said thoughtfully. "And you think she and the woman at the bar are one in the same?"

"We don't know," Leon said. "But it's possible."

"The motel manager you talked to," John said after a few quiet moments. "Did he see anyone else with me?"

"Not that he mentioned, but I can't say that I specifically asked that question."

John glanced at his sons, wishing they weren't in the room, but unwilling to send them away. He could see the fear on their faces, and felt he couldn't be as candid as he might be if they were somewhere else.

"When I woke up in the cabin, I had a feeling that I shouldn't be alone. I wonder if there's any point in going back there?"

"We've looked at every inch of the place." Leon reminded him.

"Before or after I got there?"

"Good point."

-----

"I don't want you to come to the cabin," John told his sons once they were alone. Aidan and the others were in varying stages of getting ready to head out.

"There's power in numbers," Dean pointed out. John could tell he wanted to say more, but was also trying to follow his father's orders.

"You heard the plan. Aidan and I are going to the cabin and –"

"We heard the plan," Sam sounded defiant. "And we agree that it's best for the group to split up because of the mind-control thing. What we don't agree with is being separated from you again."

Dean looked at his brother, his eyes wide. Sam's outburst wasn't entirely out of character. John knew his younger son to be more outspoken than Dean, who was generally content to do as he was told. That candidness had become more prominent in the last year or so, sometimes ending in a shouting match between father and son. Even the yelling was becoming more frequent.

John's first instinct was to bark, but he held his tongue. Behind Sam's bravado was a layer of fear, and John understood that. He didn't want to be apart from his sons again so soon, but he also wanted to keep them safe. Before John had himself sufficiently under control to speak, Dean broke in. "We'll do what you want us to, Dad."

"De –"

"Stop it, Sammy."

"But –"

"Stop it!" Dean yelled. John saw the flash of apology on Dean's face before he walked outside, slamming the door behind him.

Sam turned to his father, his eyes blazing. John knew that if it ever came down to it, Sam would choose his brother over him. He was all right with that; he never kidded himself that Dean had been there for Sam more than he ever had. John sighed to himself, desperately trying to figure out the right thing to do.

-----

Aidan had been in the room next door when he heard Dean's outburst. He had no idea what had caused it, but after giving John and Sam a few moments to go after him, he went outside himself. Dean had only gone as far as the Impala, and was leaning back against the trunk. He was staring toward the highway, but Aidan doubted he was really seeing anything.

Aidan stood next to Dean and took up a similar stance.

"You okay?"

"You heard?"

"Just the end," Aidan confirmed. "Who was it aimed at?"

Dean sighed. "Sammy."

"Huh."

"He was picking a fight with Dad. He doesn't want to be left behind."

"Do you?"

Dean glanced at him, but didn't answer.

"Sam's scared, Dean. You are, too. Hell, we _all_ are. We don't know what we're up against, and there's no good way to guard against mind control. Sam doesn't want to let your dad out of his sight and –"

"And you think I do?" Dean turned to Aidan, his voice angry. "I just feel like running away and hiding, but that ain't gonna happen. And Sam fighting with Dad isn't going help anything. It's just gonna piss Dad off and…."

Dean's voice trailed off and he turned, walking a few steps away. His shoulders slumped and his head hung low. After a moment, Dean took his hand from his pocket and it looked to Aidan like he rubbed his face. Aidan recognized what he was doing, and moved quickly before Dean could get the wall back up.

"Listen to me," Aidan stood in front of Dean and put his hand on Dean's shoulders. Aidan held firmly when he tried to move away. "I don't know what the right thing to do is. You and Sam have the skills of a hunter and you know your dad better than the rest of us. Maybe it would be a smart move for you to come with us."

Dean said nothing, but Aidan knew he had the boy's attention. "You know that there are people who care about you and who would take care of you if something happens to your father, but that's not the same as being with him. Even when he's off on hunts, he's still your dad and you're still a family. You don't want that to change. Neither does Sam. Neither does your father."

Dean tried to blink away the tears that were glistening in his eyes, and Aidan continued. "No matter how well trained you are, and no matter how old you get, you both will always be his children. He will always feel the need to protect you, and right now, he thinks the best way to do that is to keep you safely tucked away in the motel. Maybe he's right, maybe he's not. I'm sure as hell not going to make the call. Sam has never been one to keep his feelings to himself, and he's not going to start now. Don't expect that from him."

Dean lost his battle with the tears, but Aidan was surprised that he didn't turn away. "Sammy picking a fight with Dad isn't….I don't know what to do."

"Sam could just be voicing his opinion," Aidan pointed out. "Though that isn't real high on your dad's list, either."

"I don't want to go back in there yet," Dean said when Aidan softened his grip on his shoulders.

"So, don't. If you want some company, I'll stay out here and we can freeze our jewels off together."

-----

Sam glowered at his father for several long moments before the surprise of slowly lowering himself into a chair. Sam was wary until he saw his father's drained expression, then he became afraid.

"Dad?" Sam took a step forward, thinking maybe his dad was sick.

"I don't feel like fighting about this, Sammy. I just want to get to the bottom of this and move on."

Sam had never heard his father sound so defeated before. He hesitated before moving closer to him. Often times after his dad came home from a hunt, Sam would sneak out of bed and eavesdrop on the conversation between him and Dean. Sometimes they'd talk over a beer, and sometimes his dad drank something harder. More times than he could remember, though, he'd seen Dean put a hand on their father's shoulder and it seemed to comfort the man.

Sam had never done that. His dad didn't confide in him like he did in Dean, so he'd never really had the opportunity. There were hugs between them; more than there used to be, but Sam still tool solace in the physical contact.

He stopped thinking about it and just did it. When his hand landed on his father's shoulder, he looked at Sam sharply. There was obvious surprise on his face, and then what Sam thought was understanding.

"I don't want to fight either, Dad." Sam kept his voice quiet. "And I know I should follow orders, but…."

The two maintained eye contact for another moment, then Sam felt his father's hand on his. A moment later he was pulled into a hug. For the first time that Sam could remember, he felt like his dad wasn't just comforting him. He was comforting himself as well. With a swell of emotion, Sam put his arms around his father's neck and held on tightly.

-----

The plan was for John and Aidan to go to the cabin with Leon following at a distance. One of them would call Leon at regular intervals, and he was to then call Jack who would be traveling behind him. Charley was staying at the motel, and Jack was to call him regularly. The hope was that if John and Aidan started to be controlled in any way, it would be discovered before any damage could be done.

In a rare turnaround, John decided to let Sam and Dean go to the cabin, but not with him and Aidan. He didn't explain his change of heart, and Sam knew better than to take credit for it. Even though he and Dean would be in Leon's car, he felt like they could play an integral part in the operation.

"I don't know how anyone lived here," Aidan said once he and John were inside the cabin. "This place must have really gone to pot in the last couple of months, or people are wrong about when Elkin left."

John shook his head. "I don't know. You think I get focused when I'm working on something, but I'm nothing compared to Daniel. The cabin could have fallen in around him, and I'm not sure he would have noticed."

"So, what are we looking for?"

"I don't know. Anything that might tell us something. When we're done here, we should go to the bar and see if we can get a handle on the waitress you talked to."

"You don't really think she was a waitress, do you?"

John moved around the living room slowly, looking at everything. "No. But we're damn close to being out of options."

"Yeah," Aidan agreed, as he searched the room as well.

They continued to work in silence for several minutes. "Can I ask you a question, John?"

"You can ask."

"Why'd you change your mind about the boys coming?" Aidan chanced a glance at his friend, and saw that John had frozen in mid-step. "John?"

"Yeah. It's nothing. I just…." He looked at his watch. "Speaking of which, it's time to check in."

Aidan pulled out the two-way radio. "I'm on it." John made his way upstairs while Aidan made the call.

-----

As had been agreed on, Leon stayed back a mile from the cabin. Sam was manning the radio, and after talking to Aidan, he called Jack. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but Sam was still nervous. He didn't feel like he was just worried about his father. Sam couldn't explain it even if he had to, but it somehow it felt bigger than that.

"Dean?"

"What?" Dean turned to look into the back seat where Sam sat alone.

"What if we're being controlled to think Aidan is calling?"

"We can't think that way, Sammy. There's only so much we can do."

"What difference does it make how far apart we are? Dad was being controlled here and we were being controlled in Denver. I mean –"

"Sam, listen to me, okay? We're doing the best we can with what we have."

Sam glanced at Leon who sat next to his brother, then looked back at Dean. He knew Dean was trying to look encouraging, but Sam knew him too well, and he knew that Dean was as scared as he was.

"We're doing our best." Dean said again.

"There's a car coming," Leon said suddenly. The brothers looked out the rearview mirror and saw the glow of the headlights. "Get on the radio, Sam. Tell your dad."

As Sam made the call, Leon started his car and tried to pull off into the woods as much as possible. No one had thought there was a reason to hide, so he'd just stopped in the middle of the road. As the other car made its way slowly past them, the hunters sat quietly.

"Oh shit," Leon whispered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Back on the radio, Sam. Tell them it was Renee; the waitress from the bar." Leon eased onto the road. "No way she's isn't going to see us now."

"No way she didn't see us before," Dean muttered. "Are we just going to follow her, or try to stop her?"

Leon was about to answer when they heard John's voice over the radio. Dean checked his gun to make sure it was ready, even though Sam knew he'd already checked it. Leon did as John had asked, and tried to overtake the other car. There was no way to pass it on the one-lane gravel road, so he got as close as he could and laid on the horn. Renee kept going.

"Can you hit a tire?" Leon asked Dean.

"From this distance, I can't miss." He opened the window and leaned out, but before he could take the shot, Renee stopped the car.

Leon took his own gun from the pocket in the door and got out of his car while Renee got out of hers. "Keep an eye out," he said to Dean.

Renee turned to face Leon and put her hands in the air. "Don't shoot."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for John Winchester."

"Why?"

"I have information for him."

"Why do you think he's here?"

"I left him here."

"Get in your car and go to the cabin. We'll be right behind you." Leon got back into his car and glanced at Sam. "Tell your dad and Aidan that we're coming. Let jack know what's going on, too."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: See chapter 1

**A/N**: This is probably the fastest I've ever posted updates, LOL. I hope you enjoyed this one!

oooOOOooo

_Where the winds cannot reach  
The tyrant's might was born  
And often I look back  
With tears in my eyes  
Grotesque glory  
None will ever see them fall  
And hunts and wars  
Are like everlasting shadows_

Circle of the Tyrants

Celtic Frost

Songwriter Thomas Gabriel Fischer

oooOOOooo

John and Aidan were waiting outside when the small convoy reached the cabin. John was curious if he'd recognize Renee, but wasn't surprised to find out that she didn't even seem familiar. He looked toward the second car, relieved to see the boys were staying back with Leon.

"John," Renee's voice was soft. She took a few steps forward, but seemed to suddenly remember their surroundings and situation before reaching the porch. She smiled, and it struck John as bashful. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Do we? I don't even know who you are."

"That's part of what we have to talk about it."

"Are you the reason I'm here?"

She glanced around. "I guess you could say that."

"Why are you here now?"

"Because everything is falling apart, and I didn't feel right leaving you the way I did."

"And I'm supposed to trust you?"

"You don't have any reason to, I'll grant you that. I'm sorry for my part in what happened, and I want to make it up to you."

John exchanged a look with Aidan, then turned his attention back to the woman in front of him. "How?"

"By telling you everything."

Skeptical, but without any other viable alternatives, John agreed to listen to what Renee had to say. It was no warmer inside the cabin than out, and considering the condition of the rooms, staying outside was the best option. They could have gone to a met up in a public place, but Renee told them she didn't want to risk it, and preferred to talk where they were.

John didn't particularly want the boys to hear the story firsthand, but wasn't very inclined to order them to sit in one of the cars. Even with the luxury of having the heater running, he knew they wouldn't like it. Normally that wouldn't concern him, but he'd had his reasons for letting them come along in the first place, and it could very well defeat the purpose by having them wait elsewhere.

There were a few stumps and logs around the property where they could have sat down, but the group chose to stand. Aidan found a galvanized trash can and managed to light a fire inside. It didn't provide much heat, but it was better than nothing.

Renee didn't seem affected by the firearms around her. The hunters kept them close at hand without being overly threatening, but didn't bother to hide them. John suspected they were, like him, more concerned with the possibility of Renee using mind control techniques on them than what she might do physically. Even if it was useless, sometimes it just felt good to have a gun nearby.

"I feel like this is a command performance," Renee glanced around the group with a small smile.

"You came her of your own free will," John pointed out.

She nodded. "I did. And I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Then start talking."

"I'm a witch. That, along with some natural psychic ability, allows me to practice mind control. I'm very good at what I do, and I caught the attention of someone who doesn't care for you very much." She looked at John.

"Who?"

She shrugged. "I don't know for sure. I was hired through a third party."

"Hired to do what?"

"Originally to find out what you knew about Daniel Elkin. I don't know why, other than he's apparently fallen off the map and my employer wants him for something very important."

"Why can't I remember anything?"

"A side effect of the mind control, I'm afraid. The missing time may or may not come back, but even if it does, a lot of it will be false memories," Renee paused, apparently waiting for another question, but when none came, she went on. "Prior to hiring me, my employer tried to find Elkin in other ways, but I don't know the particulars. I agreed to the terms of employment, but things began to change. When I didn't have instant success, I was given new orders, expected to make last minute changes to very intricate plans, and things began to fall apart."

"Did you do anything to my sons?"

Renee looked at the brothers and John followed her gaze. He noted that Sam was standing very close to Dean, but looking every bit as defiant as John knew him to be. He might be afraid, but he wasn't about to let this stranger see it. The expression on Dean's face gave John pause, though. He looked beyond angry; he looked dangerous.

"I was told to keep them out of the way. I influenced them along with some people around them." She looked curiously at Sam. "It didn't work very well on him."

From the corner of his eye, John saw Dean shift uncomfortably. When Renee spoke again, he turned his full attention back to her. "Some people are less susceptible, but…."

"But what?" The question came from Sam.

"I don't know," Renee said to him. "You seem different somehow."

John saw a small crack in his younger son's demeanor and decided to turn the conversation away from him quickly. "Did you bring me to this cabin?"

Renee looked at Sam for a moment longer before turning back to John. "Yes. I was told to bring you here after I suggested it might be easier to get the information from you here than somewhere else. Your connection to Daniel is strongest here."

"And did you make me do anything along the way?"

She smiled. "No. You stopped for gas and food. I joined you at a diner to make contact again. My influence over you had faltered a little while I was dealing with things in Denver. I initially made physical contact after you left the motel in Green Mountain Falls. Some other associates of my employer met up with you there and healed the infection that had set in from the wounds you got from the werewolf."

"How did they do that?" John asked.

Renee shook her head. "I don't know. I have a feeling they weren't using Western medicine, though."

"What do you mean? Were these associates also witches?"

"No. I…." she looked around nervously. "I don't know for sure, but I think they might have been…."

"Might have been what?" John was losing patience.

"It sounds crazy," she laughed uneasily. "But I think they were demons."

"Demons!" John repeated incredulously. Despite all the evidence presented to him, primarily by Jim and Bobby, and things he'd seen with his own eyes, John had only recently come to terms with the existence of demons. He'd educated his sons about their traits, but assured them that demons were rare. That's what Bobby had told him, anyway.

"Like I said, I don't know for sure. I got a really strange vibe from the person who hired me and I just got the feeling he wasn't human."

"Can you describe him?" John asked.

"I can, but –"

"Hold on just a second," Aidan said. "Let me get some paper and a pen. I can make a sketch from your description."

Aidan headed for his car and John looked back at Renee. "You said that things started to fall apart. What did you mean?"

"My employer wasn't happy about my lack of progress. The orders kept changing and it seemed like the end goal may have, too. I don't know that for sure, but orders to me became more frantic. Mind control, especially to the degree I was performing it, takes a lot of planning and a very particular process. You can't turn on dime. There's no good way to readjust quickly."

Renee adjusted her coat against a sudden blast of wind and the hunters looked around for signs of something supernatural. The few birds brave enough to endure the cold hadn't stopped singing, so John asked Renee to continue.

"Like I said, I couldn't influence Sam very well. He didn't get very far in convincing Dean to call in reinforcements, but ended up doing it himself. I was too far away to exert any control over Aidan, and once he was in town everything I put into place just shattered."

"We felt like we'd woken up," Sam commented.

Renee nodded at him. "Yeah, I suppose it would have felt like that."

"Why did you talk to us at the bar?" Leon asked.

She turned to him. "I was ordered to. I was also supposed to work my magic, as my employer likes to call it, and exert some influence on all of you to get you off John's trail. Now, I'm good. I'm very good. But even I can't keep all the balls in the air that I was supposed to."

"And that's why you're telling us all this?" John wondered.

"Yeah. I'm out. I don't think there's anything else I can tell you.'

"Except for the description," Aidan said as he rejoined the group.

She nodded. "Yeah, except for that. I don't know if it will be any help, though."

"Maybe not," Aidan said. "But we can't overlook anything."

John watched while Aidan got ready to work, then glanced at his sons. They'd walked away a few feet and looked like they were deep in conversation. He had about decided to leave them alone when he saw Dean put a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam pulled away and said something that John couldn't hear, but the look on Dean's face told John that he was at a loss.

"What's going on?" John asked as he approached the boys. Dean glanced at him, but Sam turned away. "Sammy?"

Sam didn't respond, so John moved closer to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Just cold." John thought there was more to it than that, but clearly Sam wasn't ready to talk about whatever was bothering him. He reached into his pocket for the Impala keys and held them out to Sam. "Why don't you and Dean get in the car and start up the heater?"

Sam took the keys and walked away without a word. John looked at Dean. "I don't know, Dad. All he said was that something had to be wrong with him because of what Renee said about not being able to control him."

John ran a hand over his face. "Great. Take care of him, okay? We'll finish up here and….well, we'll do something."

Dean nodded and followed Sam to the car.

-----

"Look, I don't know if there's anything else I can do," Renee said once Aidan had finished the sketch. "But take my cell phone number."

Aidan wrote the number on the sketch as John joined them. He looked over Aidan's shoulder. "He doesn't look familiar."

"Yeah, to me, either." Aidan glanced at Renee. "But if she's right about demons, this is probably just some poor schmuck who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Yeah," John agreed quietly.

"For what it's worth, I told my contact that you didn't know anything about Daniel's whereabouts." Renee said to John.

He nodded. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she said as Aidan walked away.

"What you said about Sam? That he's different…."

Renee nodded. "Yeah, I don't know how to explain it. Like I said, some people are naturally resistant to mind control, but I couldn't get a read on Sam at all."

"Any idea why?"

"It could be a couple of things. I kept thinking maybe he has his own psychic ability. I felt something that I can't explain. I'm sorry I can't be more help."

John wished he was surprised by Renee's theory, but he wasn't. Sam hadn't shown any outward talent, but John had long suspected that there was something different about him. He used to think that's what had attracted the thing that killed Mary, but then he'd begun to wonder if whatever had come into their house that night had done something to Sammy in his crib. John had been waiting for years for Sam to do something to prove one of the theories was correct, but so far, there had been nothing.

"Don't worry about it," John said, feeling tense. "I appreciate you telling us everything before going into hiding. Are you going to be all right?"

Renee shrugged, a sad smile on her face. "I don't know. But if I'm not, I have no one to blame but myself. I'm sorry, John. I really am. I didn't realize what this would turn into when I originally agreed to do it."

John could tell her remorse was genuine, but he couldn't bring himself to forgive her. Before he could think of something to say, a cold blast of air blew through the clearing where they stood. This time, the birds stopped singing and some were even startled from their hidden perches in the pine trees. John looked up as a dark black cloud rolled overhead.

"Get in your car and get out of here!" he yelled to Renee.

"What? Why?" The howling of the wind drowned out her words, but John grabbed her arm, practically dragging her to her car.

Once they'd reached her vehicle, John left Renee to fend for herself. The wind was getting stronger and tree limbs were flying around almost as if a tornado had touched down. The noise was deafening. John had to lean close to Leon to hear what he was saying, and even at that it, it was a struggle.

Yelling to one another to be heard, the two hunters decided the best course of action was to attempt to get down the mountain. John barely noticed that Renee had followed his directions, and had turned her car around. He was glad to see, however, that Aidan had managed to keep the boys inside the Impala.

"Good luck!" John yelled to Leon and both men ran for their cars. John slid behind the wheel of the Impala, ignoring the questioning looks from Aidan and his sons. "We're going to try to get down the mountain."

"What's going on, John? This isn't just a normal winter storm, is it?"

John shook his head, his jaw set. "I doubt it."

He got the Impala turned around, wishing he'd thought to do that ahead of time. He should have been ready for a quick get away. Snow began to fall from the ever-blackening sky and John had trouble seeing the road ahead of him. He had no idea how far Renee had gotten, but it didn't seem possible she could be that far ahead of him. He chanced a glance into the rearview mirror and barely saw Leon's headlights behind him.

The car radio crackled even though it hadn't been turned on, the lights on the dashboard panel blinked, and John was afraid the engine would just stop running.

"See if you can get Jack on the two-way," he said to Aidan. "Let him know we're trying to get to the motel."

Aidan picked up the radio from the seat, but there was too much static to get through to anyone. "Any idea how far we are from the highway?"

"Not really," John said over the screeching of the wind outside. "I can barely see a fucking thing!"

Just as the words had come from John's mouth, the road ahead of them lit up in a sudden burst of light. At first, he thought there had been a flash of lightning, but it soon became apparent that there had been an explosion. John navigated a curve in the gravel road and, even though he'd not been going that fast, had to slam on his brakes and swerve to avoid running into the flames.

"Oh my God," Aidan breathed. "Is that…?"

John looked into the rearview mirror as Leon skidded to a stop behind the Impala. Before he'd even turned his eyes back to the front, the sky suddenly brightened and the trees stopped shaking from the hard wind. There was now no denying that what they'd been watching was the destruction of Renee's car, but it was too late to do anything about it. It probably always had been.

-----

Aidan was able to make contact with Jack and Charley, who agreed to meet the group at a fast food restaurant on the highway. While they waited for their partners, John insisted that everyone try to eat something, though he knew no one felt like it. He knew if the adults didn't set the example, the boys wouldn't eat. As it was, they only picked at the burgers and fries they'd ordered.

The look on Sam's face worried John. This was the first time he'd ever seen someone die, though John suspected that Renee was dead long before they'd turned that corner. Sadly, Dean had experienced death before and in a much more personal way. When he was less than six years old, Dean picked up a gun to defend his father from something that had, at least, looked human at the time.

The hunters were the only customers in the place, though John could see a fairly steady stream of cars at the drive-through. After eating less than half his burger, Sam pushed away from the table and headed for the men's room without a word.

"I'll check on him," Dean said.

"No," John stopped him with a gentle hand on his wrist. "Let him be for a few minutes, and then I'll go after him."

Dean nodded, glancing at the next table where Aidan and Leon sat.

"You okay?" John asked.

Dean shrugged. "Sure."

John watched him for a moment. He was staring at his food on the table, dragging a fry through a puddle of ketchup. "Dean?"

Dean looked up, but instead of what John expected to see, Dean was angry. "I can't say I'm sorry she's dead, Dad. Not after what she did."

John nodded. "I can understand that."

"I've seen people die before, ya know. People I knew and cared about. I know you and Aidan looked, but there's no way to know for sure if she was even in that car when it blew."

"That's true."

"What do you think caused that storm, though? A demon? I mean, if that's what she was working for, it would have probably gotten pretty pissed off that she told us the plan.'

Dean sounded so calm and matter-of-fact, but John didn't quite believe he was as unaffected by the events as he pretended to be. John wasn't, so he didn't expect his kids to be. Dean was analytical, brave and was turning into an excellent hunter, but John had to continually remind himself that Dean was still just a boy. And right now he was worried about that boy.

"I think a demon, or maybe more than one, is the only thing that could have caused what we saw," John said, keeping his voice low.

"Why did it let us go?" John saw a momentary flash of fear in his son's eyes, and suddenly understood. Dean wasn't concerned about what had happened, but what was _going _to happen.

"I don't know, Dean. But Renee said her employer, the demon, I guess, wanted Daniel. If I'm still the best route to him, it makes sense the demon would let me – and the people with me – go."

"What's so important about Daniel?" Dean asked.

John tried to keep his expression neutral, but he felt the ice pellets in his belly. He knew what was important about Daniel, but he didn't want to give that piece of information to his sons quite yet. He'd finally had no choice but to believe the evidence gathered over the years that a demon had come into their home that night and it was a demon that had killed Mary. But he didn't want his sons to deal with that fact of life quite yet.

And since he didn't want them to know the truth about what killed their mother, John couldn't tell Dean that Daniel possessed a weapon that would kill anything – including a demon.

"I don't know," John finally answered. He struggled to keep eye contact with Dean, even though there was clear skepticism on his son's face. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

Dean apparently decided to take his father at his word, and picked up his drink cup. John looked toward the bathroom as Sam opened the door. He hesitated, clearly not wanting to come back to the table, but knowing he didn't have much of a choice. "I'm gonna go talk to your brother."

"Can we go for a walk?" Sam asked once John was close.

"You're not cold enough yet?" John asked with a small smile.

Sam shrugged and John pushed open the door. They walked quietly for a few minutes, then Sam suddenly stopped and looked at his dad. "What's wrong with me?"

John knew what had been on Sam's mind, but he hadn't expected that question. "Why would you think something's wrong with you?"

"What Renee said…."

"Sammy, the fact that you were difficult to influence is a _good _thing."

"But she said something felt different about me."

John put his arm around Sam's shoulders and pulled him close. "Different doesn't mean bad."

Sam didn't say anything, but John felt him lean his head against his side. Sam was becoming quite a tall young man, and like any teenager, he was starting to pull away and trying to find out who he really was. John had to get used to the idea that Sam wasn't his baby any more, and hadn't been for quite some time. But there were still rare moments, like this, when Sam let himself be vulnerable and still just wanted to be taken care of.

"Sammy," John said quietly. "There's nothing wrong with you. If I had your ability not to be mind-controlled, none of this would have happened. This is a strength, Son."

After a moment, Sam pulled away and looked at John. "You don't think it has anything to do with what happened….that night? In my nursery?"

John felt those ice pellets again, but he only shook his head. "That wasn't your fault, Sam."

"But maybe whatever killed Mom really wanted me. Maybe it couldn't get me, and that's why it killed her."

John looked at his son with concern. "You never said anything like that to me before."

Sam shrugged.

"How long have you felt that what happened to your mom was your fault?"

Sam shrugged again. "Dean says it wasn't my fault."

"Dean's right. Sammy, you were just a baby. You didn't have anything to do with what happened."

"But it happened in my nursery." Sam sounded miserable.

"Sammy, you were the most vulnerable. Maybe it's as simple as that." John wanted to believe that, but he didn't. He tried to believe it for a long time, but with everything he'd learned, it just became too difficult. He knew that Sam hadn't intentionally done anything to bring the monster to them, but John still thought something about Sam had attracted it. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have protected your mother. I failed her, but I am so grateful that you and Dean got out of the house."

John didn't bother blinking away the tears, but he didn't let them fall. Sam looked at him, his eyes glistening with his own tears. After a long moment, he nodded, ending the conversation.

-----

Aidan watched John and Sam outside for a few minutes, then turned his attention to Dean. He was sitting with his back to the restaurant, which was unusual for him, and hadn't bothered to move when John left. He was staring out of the window, but there wasn't much to look at. Aidan moved to Dean's table and sat down.

"Looks like you've got a lot on your mind, Slick."

"Where do we go from here, man?"

"I don't know."

"Can't guard against mind control. This demon, if that's what it was, didn't get what it wanted. It'll just try again."

"It wants Daniel, not your dad."

"Yeah, but what's to say it won't go through Dad again?"

"It didn't work this time. Besides, he doesn't know where Daniel is. Renee told his intermediary as much."

"Are demons logical?" Dean asked.

"I imagine there are different kinds of demons, just like everything else. We'll talk to Bobby about it. And in the meantime, I'll make copies of the sketch and get it out to some hunters. Most likely it's some poor possessed bastard, but you never know."

-----

Twenty minutes later, Jack and Charley still hadn't arrived. When they didn't answer their cell phones or the two-way radio, the hunters got into their cars and headed in the direction they would have come from. At first, there didn't seem to be any sign of the men, but after a second pass through, Dean, who was riding with Leon, spotted a break in the foliage.

"Tracks show they went off that direction," John said after a thorough examination of the area. He nodded vaguely to the west.

"How the hell did they survive the wreck?" Aidan wondered aloud. The car had rolled over some brush after leaving the highway and smashed into the first tree in its path. The engine was sitting in the front seat, and the hood almost completely wrapped around the wide trunk. "It's amazing the thing didn't burst into flames."

"I have an idea, but you ain't gonna like it." Leon joined the group on the side of the road. "There's sulfur in the car."

"Demons?" Aidan groaned.

"Looks that way."

"Anyone happen to know a good exorcism?" Aidan asked.

"Call Bobby," John said. "Let's get our shit together and go after them."

Aidan and Leon exchanged a look, but Aidan pulled out his phone. John opened the trunk of the Impala and started going through the weapons they had. Dean moved to his side. "Dad –"

"Dean, I want you to take the car and get your brother out of here. Head to Jim's."

Dean hesitated and John thought he might protest, but a moment later he simply said. "Yes, sir."

-----

"We could help them!" Sam complained to Dean as the older brother drove toward Blue Earth, Minnesota.

Dean hadn't been happy about being sent away, but he understood their father's order. He knew Aidan and their dad didn't have any experience against a demon, and he didn't think Leon had, either. Dean realized that their father didn't want to have to worry about his sons on top of everything else.

"You can bitch all you want, Sammy, but we're going to Jim's."

"What if something happens to them?"

"What do you think we could do?"

"I don't know, but –"

"Exactly. Sam, this isn't a ghost or….look, Dad and the others have a lot more experience than we do, okay? Dad just wants us to be safe."

"Why do we do all this training if –"

"We've been through this a million times," Dean said exasperatedly. "We're getting ready. We're learning what we need to know….Hell, you've never even been on a real hunt and you want to fight a _demon_? No way, Sammy. I agree with Dad."

"No, you don't. I can tell you're as mad as I am."

"I'm not mad. I'm worried. But part of our training is to follow orders, and Dad told us to go."

Sam crossed his arms over his chest and slumped down in the seat. "Whatever."

Dean glanced at him, knowing the argument was over.

-----

"How long are we going to keep going?" Aidan asked. The three hunters had been on Jack and Charley's trail for almost four hours. Originally, the men had been concerned about a trap, but that didn't seem to be an issue.

"The way they're zig-zagging…." Leon paused. "It's almost like they're –"

"Just keeping us busy," John finished.

Leon shrugged. "Maybe."

"So, where _should _our attention be?" He looked at his companions. "I'm already worried enough about Sam and Dean, so there's no need to mention that."

"Maybe we should just get back to the car and head to Jim's ourselves. We can call the boys as soon as we get a cell signal." Aidan suggested. "I just don't see the logic in wandering around out here any longer."

John ran a gloved hand over his face and looked around. "Yeah. Let's go."

"You don't have to go to Minnesota," John said when they got to Leon's car an hour later. "Aidan's car is back at the motel, so you can just drop us there."

"I've been thinking about that," the large man said. "I don't have anything else going on. Besides, Jack and Charley are my friends."

John nodded. "Okay, then."

While Leon drove them back to the motel to get Aidan's car, John called Dean's cell phone.

"_Dad?"_

"Are you two all right?"

"_Yes, sir. Nothing has happened here. What about there?"_

"We were led through the woods, but never found Jack and Charley. We think we were being led around on purpose to keep us from being somewhere else."

"_Where?"_

"I have no idea. We're picking up Aidan's car, then coming your way. Have you talked to Jim?"

"_Every hour, just like you told me to. Nothing unusual happening there, either."_

"Okay. I'll call Bobby and check in with him. Keep your eyes open."

"_Will do. Be safe, Dad."_

-----

Aidan glanced to the passenger side of the car. John's head was resting against the window, and he looked far from comfortable, but seemed to be sound asleep. Aidan was glad for that because he had no idea what John had been through in the last few days. They had Renee's word about what had happened, but even taking that at face value, there was a lot of missing time. Aidan was sure that John hadn't slept much and even if he'd been healed by supernatural means, he probably still needed the rest.

It was a 12-hour drive to Jim Murphy's house and Aidan was glad the boys were so far ahead of them. Aidan hoped that whatever had led him, John and Leon on the merry chase through the frozen woods didn't have the brothers in its sights. He also hoped that they'd be able to somehow rescue Jack and Charley, but he knew that wasn't exactly realistic.

Aidan glanced toward John again when he heard the man shift in the seat. A moment later, he seemed to have settled down again; he didn't wake up.

-----

John didn't remember falling asleep, but when his eyes opened, he was in a dark room. It wasn't completely black; he could see the vague outline of furniture and thought he was in a motel room. For a moment, he was angry. It was a long drive to Jim's, but not one that required a motel stay. John realized that Aidan would have had to wake him up to get him into the room, and surely he would have protested. It occurred to John that he was again under some kind of mind control, but something about that didn't ring true.

He sat up and discovered that he'd been lying on a bed. As he looked around, John became aware that he wasn't alone.

"Who are you?" He struggled to see in the darkness, but he couldn't make out any details. The figure was standing across the room, and judging by the shape, it appeared to be male.

"You don't know my name."

"What do you want? Where am I?"

"You're dreaming."

"I'm dreaming." John was skeptical.

"More or less," the figure's tone was almost musical. "It was the easiest way for us to have a chat.'

"About what? Is Aidan all right?"

"I haven't done anything to him. Or to your children for that matter."

"What do you want with my sons?"

"Quite frankly, I don't want them at all."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, come on, John. Surely you have an idea."

"Are you the thing that killed my wife?"

"That's quite accusatory." The figure laughed.

John wanted to lunge forward and attack whatever was standing across from him, but it wasn't good sense that kept him from doing it. When he tried to move, he found he was somehow pinned to the bed. "What do you want?"

"The weapon that Daniel Elkin has."

"He's never admitted to having it, and if he had, I sure as hell wouldn't help you get it."

"You might change your mind."

"Why? You're going to threaten my boys?"

"You're not going to believe this, but I'm not the enemy here."

"You're right, I don't believe it."

"I'm not the one who killed your wife, John." His tone was suddenly soft and he sounded completely sincere. "I know who did, though, and in the future your sons….well, Sam, anyway, will play a part in his plans.'

"What are you talking about?"

"He chose Sam."

"Chose him for what?"

"I don't know for sure, but Sam isn't the only one. He visited the bedrooms of children all over the world on the night of their six month birthday. Look into it and you'll find other nursery fires, but I don't think that killing the mother wasn't a part of the plan. The bottom line is that I don't want him to see his plan to fruition."

"Why not?'

"Let's just say that it wouldn't be in my best interest. There's a lot going on that you'll never understand. Most of it you'll never even know. Bottom line is that you need to find the weapon."

"And do what with it? Give it to you?"

"Not necessarily. You using it would provide the same result."

"Killing the thing that killed my wife?"

"Not to unduly cruel, but I don't care about your wife. She was a casualty in a war that started a long time ago. You're playing a part in that war and so will your sons. Your wife was a part of it, too."

"What do you mean?"

"She invited him into your house. She knew he would come. Granted, she didn't know why, but she knew it would happen."

"I don't understand."

The creature sighed deeply. "Your wife was a hunter, John. She came from a long line of hunters."

"I….I know that."

"Indeed."

"How did she know it would come to the house?"

"The night her parents died, she made a deal with him for your life."

"What?" John's mouth was suddenly dry.

"Surely you remember that night." The demon took a step forward. "You planned to propose to Mary, you were parked on the banks of the lake….And her father suddenly arrived. He pulled you out of the car…."

"I remember," John said, seeing the events in his mind. "But…."

"When you woke up you were lying on the ground, but your head was in Mary's lap and her father –"

"She told me it was an accident. I didn't remember anything and…." John looked at the dark figure across the room. "What are you saying?"

"Her father was already dead when he pulled you out of that car. He was possessed, and he killed you, John. That's why you didn't remember. And Mary made a deal for your life."

"She wouldn't have done that."

"You underestimate how much she loved you."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?"

"You know I am."

"What was the deal?"

"He told her he'd come to her ten years from that night, and all she had to do was stay out of the way. He didn't tell her what he was going to do. I can give you the names of other people who had the same experience, but I don't know if they'll confirm what I've told you, or not."

"What did it do to my son? What did that bastard do to Sammy?" John tried to stand, but found he was still stuck to the bed.

"I don't know. And I don't know exactly what his plan is, but I can promise you that at some point, he plans to come back for the children whose homes he visited. So, back to your question. I want the weapon to give my side an advantage in the war. And like I said, you're welcome to be the one to use it."

John rubbed his face. "I don't even know where Daniel is."

"Uh-huh. I got that. Find him. Get the weapon. Kill the demon who killed your wife, give my side the advantage –"

"So, I'm supposed to assume you're the lesser of two evils?"

"You can see it any way you want to see it."

"Did you have anything to do with Jack and Charley's accident? Where are they?"

"That would have been my counterpart. Well, not directly, of course. I suspect the plan was to have them come back to the group, possessed, to gather information. The demons doing the possessing were sloppy, though. They're young and inexperienced."

John tried to focus his thoughts. "I don't know how to find….your counterpart. Even if I do get the weapon, I –"

The demon laughed. "Are you proposing a partnership?"

"That sounds like what you were proposing."

"Huh. Well, perhaps I was, after all."

"How long do I have?"

"Before he comes for your son?"

"Yes."

"I can't say for sure, but based on his past actions, you have a few years. He's done this many, many times before and with each generation, the children are older when he comes for them. Find Daniel, John. Get the weapon."

John's mind was reeling. He looked toward the figure, but he was alone in the room. John found he wasn't pinned to the bed any more, but when he stood up, the room started to spin.

-----

"John? You okay?"

John heard Aidan's voice, and opened his eyes. He was in the car, but it was parked on the side of the road. Feeling sick, John grabbed the door handle and practically fell out onto the dirt. He didn't notice the dusting of snow as he crawled away and began to vomit. There wasn't much in his stomach, but that didn't stop the dry heaves from torturing him.

"John." He felt Aidan's hand on his shoulder as he rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.

"I'm okay."

"I kinda think you're not. Have some water."

John opened his eyes slightly, seeing Aidan holding a bottle out to him. "Give me a minute." He closed his eyes again, grateful that Aidan stayed close to him. John wasn't sure how long he lay there before sitting up and taking the bottle of water.

"I thought you were having a nightmare," Aidan said simply as John took a swig of the water and spit it out.

"I don't think it was a dream," John said. He took a careful swallow.

"What does that mean?"

John shook his head and drank more of the water. His head was pounding, and even though he knew it was cold, he felt warm. "When was the last time you talked to the boys?"

"Just a little while ago. They're fine, John. What happened to you?"

John looked around. "We have to get going." He tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness overtook him and he fell back to the ground.

"Hold on, just give yourself a second." Aidan's voice was calming, but John was edgy. He wanted to get back on the road, he wanted to get to his sons. "Just sit there and get yourself together."

John scooted until he felt the car against his back. He didn't dare open his eyes, but he felt the bottle of water pushed into his hand and Aidan's voice. "Here."

"Thanks," John whispered. He patted his coat pocket. "Where's my phone?"

"It's in the car, but if you call the boys sounding like you do, you're gonna scare the shit out of them."

John silently agreed with Aidan. He took another sip of the water, and after a few long moments began to feel better. When he opened his eyes, he saw the trepidation on his friend's face. "I'm okay."

Aidan helped him to his feet and John walked in a small circle, taking deep breaths. He felt almost normal again when he turned to Aidan and told him about what he knew hadn't been a dream.

"Holy shi….but John, you looked like you were asleep. How can you be sure that –"

"I can't be sure of anything, Aidan. But I don't think this was just a simple dream."

Aidan seemed about to respond when his cell phone started to ring. It was Leon, checking on their progress having lost sight of them in his rearview mirror. After assuring him everything was all right and agreeing to meet up at the next gas station, Aidan and John got back into the car. While Aidan navigated back onto the highway, John called Dean.

-----

Jim Murphy knew the brothers wanted to stay awake until their father got there, but they didn't arrive until almost 3am and were already exhausted. Jim fed them and they took showers, but after a valiant effort, both fell asleep in his living room. After covering them with blankets, he stoked the fire, and then settled in a recliner across the room.

He had talked to John during one of his calls to the boys and now Jim was worried. As he thought about what John had told him, he knew it probably hadn't been a dream. He didn't want to admit that John had been visited by a demon, but there didn't seem to be another explanation. At least not that Jim thought was as reasonable. Jim had called Bobby, who was now on his way to Minnesota, and the demon expert was in agreement, too.

Sam shifted on the couch and Jim looked toward him. He continued to sleep, but the movement caused Dean to stir. He'd fallen asleep on the floor near his brother. Jim had wanted to wake him, so he could move to a more comfortable place, but he knew that Dean wouldn't want to be too far from Sam. Even in a place he knew to be safe, Dean was protective of his brother.

"It's all right, Dean." Jim's voice was quiet, but he knew the boy had heard him.

"What time is it?" Dean sat up, rubbed his eyes, then looked at Sam.

"It's about 6 in the morning."

"Has Dad called any more?"

"Every hour, as we agreed. They're on schedule to be here in a couple of hours. You should go back to sleep."

Dean leaned back against the couch and pulled the blanket up to his neck. "Look who's talking."

"If you're cold, there are more blankets."

"No, thanks, I'll be okay."

"I thought about waking you two and making you go to the guest room, but I figured if you were asleep, you had to be comfortable enough."

Dean smiled briefly. "Thanks for everything, Pastor Jim."

"There's no need to thank me. You're family."

Sam moaned softly in his sleep and Dean laid his head back against his brother's back. After a moment, he settled back down. Dean didn't move, but he called Jim's name softly.

"Yes, Dean?"

"Do you think Jack and Charley are all right?"

"I don't know."

"Dad and the others….they think Jack and Charley were possessed. There weren't any skid marks on the road. It's like Jack drove off the road on purpose, and judging from the crash site, he was going fast."

Jim hesitated, thinking about what he could say. John had never been overly truthful with his sons. He kept information from them if he felt they didn't need to know, but he never sugar-coated things. Dean knew more than Sam did, but he was still a child. Or, maybe that stopped the night his mother died, Jim thought and sighed to himself. He decided there was no point in being anything other than honest. "It sounds like that kind of crash would have killed them."

"Yeah," Dean's voice was quiet. "That's what I figured. The only reason they were able to walk away was because of the demons. Have you ever gone up against a demon?"

"No, I haven't. Most hunters have never encountered one."

"But Bobby has?"

"Yes, though most of his knowledge is academic and not personal experience. Demon possession is rare."

"Seems like one has my dad in its sights."

"Looks that way," Jim agreed. He'd suspected for years that Mary Winchester had been killed by a demon, but it took John a lot longer to come to terms with that idea. Of course, until the night she died, John hadn't known that there was any truth to the supernatural stories he'd heard. Like most people, he'd thought that ghosts and demons were only in the movies. "But Bobby's on his way and hopefully he'll be able to find a way to put an end to that."

"Demons are bad news."

Jim looked at Dean. There was only one small lamp lit, but with the fire burning, there was just enough light to see his expression. He looked young, but the maturity in his eyes made Jim sad. He'd begged John to let his sons stay children for as long as possible, but John had had other ideas. While he protected Sam, he'd insisted that he needed Dean to be capable of handling things in his absence. There'd been more than one argument about that, but Jim always knew how far he could push John. He knew John's temper, and he'd never been willing to risk the man taking his sons away forever.

"Somehow, Dean, we're going to get out from under this."

"I hope so."

A moment later, Sam stirred again, and this time he awoke with a start. Before Jim could even react, Sam saw his brother and immediately relaxed. It wasn't long until the trio moved to the kitchen.

Sam briefly thought about school, but he didn't expect that his family would go back to Denver for any other reason than to get the few belongings they'd left. Dean considered calling Lindsey, but decided it would be better to leave things as they were. Like Sam, he suspected their days in Denver were over. Their father called a couple more times to check in, but he and the others arrived on schedule just after 8am.

Bobby Singer, a demon expert who lived in South Dakota, had gotten on the road after finishing up some things at home and made it to Jim's not long after his friends. He and John had a tumultuous relationship, but each could be counted on when the other needed him.

Jim stayed busy making coffee and food. Despite the extreme circumstances, the group was hungry.

Epilogue

Dean had thought about that weekend a lot over the years. He'd never learned everything that happened to his father over those few days – if his memory ever came back, Dean didn't know.

But he'd realized that was when his father had discovered the truth, or the potential truth, about Sam and what was to come. Of course, the great John Winchester had never confided in Dean, other than to tell him he might have to kill his brother. Years later, over too many beers, Bobby had told him some what his father never had.

"_We eventually found Jack and Charley," Bobby said, his words already slurring. "I came across some demon activity a few weeks later, and called your daddy to come with me to check it out. I did that a lot in those days. Once he'd accepted that he was after a demon, anyway. Turns out Jack and Charley weren't a part of any big plan any more, assuming they ever had been. A couple demons were just taking them out for a joyride."_

"_What were they doing?" Dean wondered. He and Bobby had been drinking for a couple of hours. He'd lost track of how many beers he'd finished, though there was an impressive number of empty bottles on the table in front of him. _

_Bobby waved away the question. "It don't much matter. Just causing some random trouble is all. Your daddy and I managed to exorcise the demons, then we burned the bodies."_

"_The demon that came to Dad, the one you told me about that wanted Dad to find the weapon….did he ever show up again?"_

"_Not in such a dramatic way, but yeah. It would come around every so often to give your dad information. It was never enough to ever really find the yellow-eyed bastard, but every little bit helped, I guess. But then it just stopped. It came to your father one last time right before Sam went off to college. From what John told me, it was a brief visit and the demon was on the run. I guess ol' Yellow Eyes was probably on its tail."_

"_That must have been why Dad was so freaked about Sammy leaving," Dean took a long swig from the bottle in his hand. "It would have been so much easier if Dad had just told us what was going on. I'll never understand the secrecy."_

"_Me, neither," Bobby agreed. "I can't tell you how many times Jim and I tried to get him to change his mind. Hell, Caleb, too for that matter. I still don't know what that man was thinking, but you know how he was. It was his way or the highway."_

_Dean snorted in response. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at his friend. "Why'd you stick with him?"_

"_Your dad?" Bobby asked. "He was a hunter, and we stick together. Sort of."_

"_That's it?"_

_Dean saw Bobby's face turn serious, and it seemed to him that years of memories were flashing in the man's eyes. "Your daddy was a hard man, Dean. He was a mean sonofabitch. But he was also one of the best friends I ever had. He loved you and your brother with a ferocity I'd never seen before, and probably will never see again."_

_Tears stung Dean's eyes. He finished off his beer, then reached into the cooler between his and Bobby's chair for another one. _

"_We all loved your daddy. Me, Jim, Caleb. Even that freak Joshua. No matter what was going on, we could count on him." Bobby looked at Dean. "But I guess sometimes that was at yours and Sam's expense."_

"_Hey, Bobby," Dean paused over another swallow. "Any chance it wasn't a demon that was helping you?"_

"_What do you mean? You think it was an angel?"_

_Dean shrugged. "I'm just askin'."_

"_Huh," Jim grunted. "I never thought about it. It's hard to remember the details, but I suppose it's possible we just assumed it was a demon. I can't say it ever said so for sure, but whatever it was taught us some things we never would have known. It definitely had its own agenda, though. We never did figure it out, and once the bastard had disappeared, I guess it just didn't matter. And now with Yellow-Eyes dead…."_

_Dean heard Bobby's voice, but he wasn't really listening any more. His thoughts had moved to his father, and countless childhood memories, but he knew he could drown it all out with a few more beers. _

Dean knew there were other things to think about; more immediate things, and he wasn't sure how his thoughts had landed on that particular weekend. It seemed like forever ago; almost a different lifetime. He supposed that, in a way, it was. It was before Sam had died, before he'd made the deal to get him back, and before….Hell.

After a nod to the bartender, Dean had another tequila shot. He held the glass, contemplating the liquid for several moments before swallowing it and asking for another. He had no idea where Sam was, but Dean was sure he was with Ruby. He downed the shot, and shook his head when the bartender held up the bottle. After pulling some money from his pocket, Dean made his way to the bathroom.

For years, he'd held onto the hope that things would be better once the thing that had taken their mother's life was dead. He'd killed Azazel, but a lot of other things had taken his place. Dean stared into the mirror over the sink for several moments, then stood up straight and squared his shoulders.

"Get over it, Dean. You've got work to do."


End file.
